Tree Of The _________ Of

People often picture the tree Eve took from as an apple tree. But scripture explains it was not an apple tree. It was a tree of knowledge.  Is knowledge an attribute of the body? No. Is knowledge an attribute of the spirit?  No. Knowledge is an attribute of the soul. Knowledge has to do with the mind.

When Adam and Eve took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it would affect their mind, their soul. So in essence, Adam and Eve lost the mind God gave them. And ever since, all mankind has lost their mind. That is why we are told when we get saved to start renewing our mind.

Colossians 3:10 KJV  “And have put on the new man , which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”
Notice the new man is renewed in what? Knowledge.  And in Ephesians 4:23 KJV “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”

Look at Romans 12:2 KJV  “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

How does transformation come to us as believers? By renewing our mind. And when we renew our mind we are able to prove what God’s good, acceptable and perfect will is. How do we renew our mind? By the word of God.

You see Adam, through his disobedience to God and disobedience to God’s word (do not touch this tree) by taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil subjected everything to chaos, disorder and disfunction, even all of creation. So with this chaos and disorder came pain. Pain for mankind and creation. That is what Paul explains in Romans 8. Now we have “natural disasters”, things that God never intended.

Romans 8:14-23 KJV  “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.”

The above text is loaded with meat of God’s word. We see the “sons of God” is not an angel “thing” as some teach, but it is a position, those led by the Spirit of God. We see the distinction in verses 14 and 19 of Romans 8 but then we see “children of God” in verses 16 and 21. Children are male and female. That is a study in itself, what is the “sons of God“.

But the text also tells us creation groans in pain. And notice the word creature. Creature is what God created, the earth. Paul addresses the “creature” in Romans 1:25 where he says people worship the “creature” and they serve the creature more than the Creator. Those that worship and serve the environment or what they call “mother earth” and even celebrate a day worshipping the earth with earth day in April.

So knowledge is a mind attribute which is part of the soul. Remember,  it is the soul that goes to heaven or hell.

But notice Romans 8:19? The earth has expectation waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Romans 8:19-21 KJV  “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.”

Remember back in Genesis 3:17 – 19 God cursed on the ground.

So when Adam and Eve took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they messed up their mind. That messing up of their mind also affected their soul, their mind, will and emotions. Now the earth groans and the people don’t think straight unless they are “born again” and renew their mind.

It is no secret, Satan attacked the mind and thoughts in the garden of Eden and he was successful and he still attacks the minds and thoughts of the lost and the saved today. Renew your mind daily with the word of God.

Until next time.

Jews And Gentiles With God?

1 Corinthians 1:22-24 KJV  “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
[23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
[24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”

Christ is Greek for Messiah.
Messiah is Hebrew for Christ.

So the word Messiah  (Hebrew) or the word Christ (Greek) mean in English the Anointed;  the Saviour.

The Jews always want to see signs. For them – “Seeing IS Believing”. Jesus mentions this in John 4:48 KJV
“Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”

This “seeing is believing” mentality has a problem. Remember doubting Thomas needed to see the nail scars? But not only Thomas and others but this “seeing is believing” goes back to Egypt and Pharaoh. When Moses stood before Pharaoh doing signs and wonders, so did Pharaoh’s soothsayers, astrologers. That proved evil people had a power too. God ultimately has greater power. But this seeing is believing is not of faith, but works.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 KJV  “Even him , whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
[10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

So Jews are like “pre-wired” seeing is believing. Jesus knew this and did many miracles to prove to them he is their Messiah, Saviour. Some believed and some did not. Ultimately, their religious leaders wanted Jesus crucified. Rome accommodated them. Jews are works based people. They have over 6000 years of doing deeds, works, and seeing signs and wonders. A seeing is believing mind set.

Gentiles on the other hand, seek wisdom. They have to figure things out in their mind. The Clue I mentioned in the last post Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4:17-23 KJV  “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
[18] Having the understanding darkened,  being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
[19] Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
[20] But ye have not so learned Christ;
[21] If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
[22] That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
[23] And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

When you understand your mind is where your free will starts and your mind is the gateway to your spirit, you can not live by faith if you have to figure things out in your mind first.

So the Jews have a “seeing is believing” mentality and Gentiles try to understand things in their mind. And if Gentiles can not understand something  in their mind, they usually will not believe. That is except those who have chosen to believe God and Jesus and the word of God.

Gentiles are mind oriented. Thoughts, thinking, figuring things out. Gentiles try to figure everything out. If they can’t understand or figure something out, they decide if they will by blind faith believe. It takes blind faith to drive a car. Blind faith to go to the moon.

When Paul writes to Gentiles, Paul has a lot to say about renewing your mind. Where Jews have a “seeing is believing” preset disposition, Gentiles have a way they think about things and try to figure things out. Jesus showed the Jews many signs so they would believe. But Paul told Gentiles, you have to change the way you think about God, about spiritual matters. Renew your mind, change your thoughts and thinking to what saith the Lord, no matter what you might think.

God does show us signs and wonders sometimes and he also tries to reason with us sometimes.

Isaiah 1:18 KJV “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Helping Jews see Jesus is their Messiah means emphasizing the signs, wonders, miracles and quoting scripture. Helping Gentiles you have to reason with them. For Gentiles it is about their mind, what they think and showing them God’s ways are not man’s ways and God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord .
[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

So the Jew will say what do I have to do to get saved. They have thousands of years experience going through ceremonial laws, actions and deeds. What they don’t see is these all pointed to the Messiah, Jesus.

The Gentiles can see and understand the law,  ceremonies and deeds all point to the Messiah. What they don’t see is they can’t understand God or God’s ways so they struggle with their mind telling them one thing and God telling them something that does not make sense to their mind.

Until next time.

Israel and Gentiles Explained

We are not told we need to understand God or his ways. We are actually told from scripture, God’s ways are not man’s ways. Yet we seek to know and understand God. We ask God questions like, why am I here or what is my purpose.  Often, people look to counselors, pastors, teachers, family, friends and even from God for direction.
However you determine your purpose, you arrive at a point where you need to make a decision. Stick with me for a few minutes and you will see where I am going with this. Once you “get it” it will change your life.

The Old Testament not only shows Israel could not keep God’s laws but it also points out Jesus is their Messiah they were looking for. Isaiah 53 and many other Old Testament verses prove Jesus, a Jew from King David’s lineage, is the Messiah.

Sadly, many Jews chose to believe their religious leaders over evidence they saw with their own eyes and the scripture – Not all, but many.

Writers of the Old and New Testament are all Jews. The Bible is a book about Jews, written initially to Jews for Jews with the Old Testament. But later, in the New Testament God includes Gentiles.  God takes a Jew named Saul, changes his name to Paul and sends him to Gentiles and Jews and kings.

Acts 9:13-16 KJV  “Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
[14] And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
[15] But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
[16] For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

So God opened a window of opportunity to the Gentiles, for salvation. Why did God do this? As Paul explains in Romans 9:30 through Romans 10, to make the Jews jealous. Not to replace the Jews, but to make them jealous. Jealous that Gentiles were worshipping and praising their God, the God of Abraham,  Isaac and Jacob who God manifest or made known to man in the person of Jesus the Christ and now lives in all believers through God the Holy Ghost. 1 John 5:7 KJV  “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

Note: There are some who teach the church has replaced Israel. This is heresy. Those that teach that are false teachers who know nothing of God’s love for Israel. They know nothing about God’s covenants with Israel.

When God called Saul on the road to Damascus,  Saul/Paul says Jesus spoke to him, from heaven, in the Hebrew tongue. Acts 26:13-18 KJV
“At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
[14] And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
[15] And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
[16] But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
[17] Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
[18] To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

Paul said,  even Isaiah the prophet  ( in the Old Testament ) spoke of the times Gentiles would trust Jesus ( the root of Jesse). But there is a time coming when the “fullness of the Gentiles” will come (Romans 11:25) and then, after that, God will save all of Israel as Paul explains in Romans 11:26.

But this post is not about the great love God has for Israel or how God has grafted in Gentile believers. This is about a verse that many have used to explain the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit’s working has nothing to do with this verse at face value. The verse?

1 Corinthians 1:22 KJV  “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:”

Finally, after 33 years of salvation – 33 years of study, now God showed me in a way I could understand. I can not explain this without running this post length too long. But I will give you a clue and hope you research the clue, keeping in mind 1 Corinthians 1:22-31.

The Clue – Ephesians 4:17 KJV
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,”

Until next time.

Why Bad Things Happen

Why do kids run away from home?
Why does a drunk driver kill an innocent family?
Why does a “normal ” person go into a theatre or club and shoot people?
Why do husbands abandon their family? ( or wives sometimes).
Why do people steal children, sexually abuse them and or kill the child?
Why do “normal” kids go into satanism?
Why do people become terrorists?

People don’t just do things – there is a journey they take that brings them to a result or action. 

For years the church declared ” it is sin in their life”. Society now calls it “mental illness”. If these answers were true, why aren’t all sinners doing these things? Or why aren’t all people with “mental illness” doing these things? Saying this is “mental illness” is nothing more than assigning an umbrella category when you don’t have an answer.  But God has the answer.

People don’t just do things – there is a journey they take that brings them to a result or action.

It is easy to use umbrella categories. It is easy to blame why some people are alcoholics or drug addicts or sex perverts on “they have a disease”. The word disease basically means imperfect,  impaired natural use of the body or organs. So tell me, if disease affects the body, how is mental illness a disease?

We are made up of spirit, soul and body.  In the truest form, disease affects organs and the body. But the soul is mind, will and emotions. Will and emotions are not a part of the body. You could argue your mind or brain is an organ but will and emotions are not. And when people decide to do evil acts, they choose to do the act. That is an act of the will.

People don’t just wake up one day and say I think I will molest a child today or gun down people in a theatre. People don’t wake up one day and say I think I will be a Satanist or a drug addict or an alcoholic. People don’t just do things – there is a journey they take that brings them to a result or action.

When you look at the 7 questions I asked in the beginning of this post, ask yourself,  what do each of these people have in common? Reread the 7 questions and see if you can find what these people have in common.

Someone or something planted a thought or idea in their mind. Each one of those people had to entertain the thought or idea. They thought about the idea or thought. When they choose to act on the thought or idea they are expecting a reward or gratification. Their reward? Revenge, pleasure, freedom, alleged power, relief, gratification,  escape. All of these  “rewards” affect their body or their mind and soul.

Your mind is not your soul. But your mind is part of your soul. Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions.

So what do all these people have in common? Someone or something has influenced their mind and their soul. Job is a perfect example and explanation of this. Satan attacked Job’s family, wealth and body. Why? What was Satan doing? Satan was trying to influence Job’s mind and soul to cause Job to act against God. Satan caused Job a lot of trouble to influence Job. Satan could not force Job to do anything. Job would have to believe the influences from Satan and then act on what Job “thought in his mind”.

People don’t just do things – there is a journey they take that brings them to a result or action.

In Job’s case, Job lost his children, lost his wealth and lost his health. All this was done to Job to influence Job to react. Things happen to us in life. Sometimes, bad things. These bad things could send you on a journey you do not want to take. Often, when bad things happen to you – you are at a crossroads in life. How you respond can set you on a course of destruction or wisdom and victory.

Friends,  Satan is a deceiver and he tries to influence your thought process so he can John 10:10 KJV “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

People don’t just do things – there is a journey they take that brings them to a result or action.

The key? Galatians 5:16-25 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.
[18] But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
[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.
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
[24] And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
[25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

People who make decisions based on what is influencing their mind, their will and their emotions are choosing a journey they may regret.

People don’t just do things – there is a journey they take that brings them to a result or action.

Heavensrecord.wordpress.com

U – Turn

As mentioned last time,  the things in this world are not life. And what is going on around you right now is not your life. Your life is in you. So your house, car, “things” are all things of the world, not your life.

I use to think if I had a descent car, nice home and had the money to buy what I wanted I would be considered successful and be happy. As a competitor, I always pushed myself to get to the top. Do the best I could honestly,  to move up the corporate ladder. Then after I got saved I started asking, then what?  God showed me it wasn’t about “things” or position or striving for masteries of the world.

When your family watches you pushing up the corporate ladder and having some success and then you stop and go in a different direction, they think you are crazy. What’s wrong with you? How can you go from this to that? What, do you want to be poor? And believe me, sometimes I struggled with how do I pay the bills trying to do things God’s way.

Then God showed me, I was not the one paying the bills. He was opening doors and teaching me to depend on him. It is not natural for man to trust someone he can not see, touch or hear in this physical world.  Just like Ephesians 2 says,  Ephesians 2:1-3 KJV  “And you hath he quickened , who were dead in trespasses and sins;
[2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
[3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

This world this earthly realm we physically live in is not life. A good example may be the caterpillar. As a caterpillar he is in a body that walks the earth. He gets food and water, is clothed in a body that is bound to walking the earth. But when the caterpillar spins a cacoon and bursts forth as a butterfly, he is no longer bound to the earth, he can fly.

Although we are bound in a body that is land-locked to this earth, one day we are going to shed our body and fly. So we are not to “mind” earthly things, things bound to the earth. We are to fly and how we do this is not in our flesh, our earthly body, but in the spirit of our mind. Ephesians 4:23 KJV “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”

Life is not in our body but in our spirit and our mind. And when you build up your inward man with God and his word your outward man dies to the thoughts, cares and worries of the world, the earthly realm.

One of Satan’s tricks is to play head games with you. Paul addressed this in Colossians when he said, Colossians 1:21 KJV “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled”. When we do something wrong in the flesh, the earthly realm, Satan starts condemning us in our mind. Satan may even use some of our family or friends to help him condemn us, anyone remember Job’s friends?

But Paul said in Colossians God has reconciled us,  made us permanent friends through the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross brought mankind back to God for all those who believe. So in your mind you think God is mad at you and you are an enemy of God because of your wicked works. But God says he reconciled or made us always friends with him by the cross.

So what can shake believers? Their mind. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 KJV “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”

I never knew I could control the thoughts that came into my mind until about 5 or 6 years ago. I thought if something popped into my mind it was real, truthful, right. Then I recalled sometimes when I would pray these terrible thoughts would pop into my head. Now I know that was Satan’s workers trying to get me off my prayer.

It saddens me to see so many people, Christians, work so hard to obtain earthly wealth and things. Their conversations are always about earthly things. The next party, new car, remodeling of their home, vacation, cook outs, clothes, school, and on and on. Yes, God gives us things to enjoy but we should be helping others. Showing people Jesus Christ, explaining freedom is in the mind and spirit not the world. People are going to hell and we are discussing the next church program? Take someone to heaven with you. When was the last time you told someone how to get to heaven?

Until next time.

What is Faint – Part 2 of 2

Did you ever look in practical terms? The heros of the faith did not faint. The list of people Paul mentions in Hebrews 11, did you look at the what and why of them?  Let me explain from Hebrews 11.

Abel had a more excellent sacrifice. What made his sacrifice more excellent?  It was a lamb? God created both sacrifices, Cain’s and Abel’s. What made Abel’s sacrifice “more excellent “? One word. Genesis 4:3,4 in KJV explains it – ” firstling”. Abel honored God by giving him of his “firstfruits”.

Noah did not see any evidence of a coming flood but he believed God and acted on what God said.

Do you believe what God says and act on it? Abraham and Sarah saw the promises God made to them “afar off”. Just like believers today see the promise of Jesus to meet us in the clouds in the air, ( 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18).

Notice in Hebrews 11:15 – ” if they had been mindful of the country they came out of, they might have gone back. ”  If they thought about all the things in that country they came out of, they might have gone back. What could have persuaded them? Their mind. Put yourself in their shoes.

Leave the country you are in where you have all the modern conveniences,  good job, benefits, your family and friends, because you believe something God tells you. Or are you mindful of your dreams and desires for your life? One of the hardest things is when you know God wants you to do something and you don’t want to do it.

Just as Abraham and Sarah were persuaded to go without seeing anything, they embraced and confessed what God said. You can go through the list of people and what you find, God lists their accomplishments –

They subdued kingdoms  – wow.
Wrought righteousness
Obtained promises – Notice God kept his promises.
Stopped the mouths if lions.
Quenched the violence of fire.
Escaped the edge of the sword.
Out if weakness were made strong
Waxed valiant in fight
Women received their dead raised up.

Do you realize to achieve these things means they went through fires, swords, weakness, lions attacking, fights and even some died?  All of this they went through for something God told them, promised them. Would you? God has made promises to us, the church. Are you more mindful of the pleasures of your world or are you focused on the promises of God?

After everything Paul mentions in Hebrews 11, he gives us the answer in Hebrews 12: 3

Hebrews 12:1-3 KJV “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.”

Friends,  don’t get wearied. Weary means having strength exhausted, fatigue, impatient to continue.  And faint means, weak, cowardly, depressed, feeble. Notice where we can get wearied and faint from 12:3? Your mind. Your mind. Do you get it? Your mind. Not what you see, not your circumstances,  but your mind. The thoughts that come into your mind. Do thoughts that come into your mind cause you to be weak? Cowardly? Depressed? Feeble? Those thoughts, in your mind are not from God. Is the Lord your strength?

The key: You look to the word of God to cancel out the word (s) of man and how you get there is through believing and confessing God’s word until it gets from your head in to your heart so much that you know it . Then you will not get weary and faint in your mind.

Until next time, be blessed.

What’s Next

Jesus was teaching the Holy Spirit was going to come in John chapters 14, 15 and 16. In Chapter 14 Jesus explains the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Spirit of truth. We know, once we get saved, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us. This is why Jesus said twice in John 14, let not your hearts be troubled, verses 1 and 27.  Notice it is the heart that gets troubled, not the mind ( the soul )?

We say, so and so broke my heart or my heart aches for so and so. Events and tragedies tug on our heart. Hunger, famine, sickness all tug at our heart, not our mind. Salespeople plant seeds of want in our heart.  Even Paul the apostle says, for real salvation, you must believe in your heart, not your head, not your mind and thoughts, but in your heart (Romans 10:9,10).

Just saying a prayer does not save you. A prayer is words, a request or petition. Everytime I hear preachers say at the end of their message, say this prayer and they go through a prayer for salvation, many mention nothing about the heart.

When I got saved, I did not love God. I did not know God. I knew nothing about Jesus Christ other than he died on a cross and rose from the dead. But I read the New Testament and believed what I read and the thought of hell scared me. As God was calling me, I was on a quest to know what do I need to do so I will not go to this place called hell?

As you know from my posts, God sent a pastor and his wife to my store. I started going to church for the first time in my life at age 27. I believed the scriptures to be the word of God. After 30 days, I realized what Jesus Christ went through and how he paid for my sin with his own blood. And I set it in my heart, if Jesus can do that for me, then I will love him with all my heart. And I got saved. The pastor led me in a prayer at 10:52 pm at his dining room table. I believed everything I said in that prayer. I repented of my sin, believed with all my heart that Jesus Christ shed his blood to pay for my sin and rose from the dead conquering death, hell and the grave. The Holy Spirit came into me into my heart and I have grown over the years, to love Jesus Christ more and more everyday.

When the Holy Spirit came into me, a peace came in me I could not explain. Not a peace in my mind, but a peace in my heart. Finally, I had peace with God, with life and the world no longer could pressure me.

Later I would come to understand it is our  “spirit man”  who has this peace. So when our soul, our mind, starts to look at what is going on in this world, we still have the peace of God. Our hearts should not be troubled. We believe God. 

So as I was listening to Bill Salus discuss his new book The Now Prophecies,  he gave a list of events he is looking to see start to happen. Prophecy is not one of my strong points but I know the fundamentals. So Bill mentions that we need to watch for something to happen with Iran and Elam (a part of Iran that has a nuclear power plant).

Bill says we will see:
~ Something happen with Elam/Iran [Jeremiah 49:34-39]

~ Damascus is going to be destroyed [Isaiah 17:1-14]

~ Something is going to happen with Jordan and Egypt and then there is going to be a war in the middle east that will be an Israeli and Arab war, Psalm 83.

~ Bill points out that America will decline because she is turning away from God and then he says there will be a vanishing.

I do not know if Bill’s chronology is correct or not but I know Bill has a handle on dispensational truth. Bill understands how God’s timing of events make the overall picture clear.

Friends, no matter what we see or hear from the news, stay anchored in Jesus and stay faithful to God’s word. Settle in your heart if you are really saved and if not, please, get saved now.

Like the song says – The Anchor Holds

Fiery Darts Are Thoughts

Colossians 1:12-13 KJV. “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
[13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

God has delivered us, believers,  from the power of darkness. Friends,  it has been done. We are delivered.

The last two posts, Your Thinking Decides Your Reality Part 1 and Part 2 clearly show how Satan tries to trick us. But God says we believers are delivered from the power of darkness.  All we need to do is believe God. Believe God’s word. If we have been delivered from the power of darkness,  why does Satan still attack us?

Think of it like an ambassador. We are ambassadors for Christ. The country you live in claims power over you as their subject. It is the same as this world. Satan is the prince of this world and has power. When you believe God and his word and you get saved, this world is no longer your home. You traded your allegiance from your country to Jesus Christ. That’s why when Paul stood before King Agrippa Paul explained this transfer of power in Acts 26:15-28.

Paul says he wants believers wise.

Romans 16:17-20 KJV. “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
[18] For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
[19] For your obedience is come abroad unto all men . I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
[20] And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

There will be people who will deceive you with “good words and fair speeches”.  And according to Paul:

1. Satan can tempt you 1 Corinthians 7:5. Temptation starts in the mind, thoughts. If you entertain the thoughts –
2. Satan can get an advantage 2 Corinthians 2:11 and Satan will make it look “good and use fair speeches / words” because –

3. Satan transforms himself into an angel of light 2 Corinthians 11:114

4. Satan will send his messengers / angels to buffet / hinder you. 2 Corinthians 12:7

5. Satan hindered Paul 1 Thessalonians 2:18

6. And Satan will display power 2 Thessalonians 2:9

7. Some will turn aside after Satan 1 Timothy 5:15

Revelation 2:9; 2:13, 24 and Revelation 3:9; 12:9;  20:2,7 tell us Satan has his own synagogue,  he has a place he dwells. When I saw Pergamos is called the place where Satan dwells, I wanted to know where that is. According to my Bible Dictionary, Pergamos is now called Bergamo which is a city in Italy.

There are 2 scriptures where Paul says someone can be turned over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh. In 1 Corinthians 5 we see there was a “believer” engaged in incest. Paul said he should be turned over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh. Not that he looses his salvation but, that he would be removed from earth because he was a bad example.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 KJV “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
[2] And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
[3] For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
[4] In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
[5] To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The other scripture is 1 Timothy 1:18-20 KJV  “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
[19] Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
[20] Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

We are in a battle and the battlefield is our mind, our thoughts. The fiery darts are thoughts shot into our mind. Shot into our thoughts. We have been delivered from Satan’s power, we need to learn how to fight the fiery darts Satan plants in our thoughts and mind. We fight those fiery thoughts with God’s word, the sword of the Spirit as Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us. Until next time.

Your Thinking Decides Your Reality Part 2

As we said in Part 1 – what we hear – whether positive comments, negative comments, ungodliness, praise and even the word of God – we think on and decide if we will believe those words or not believe the words. When you speak the words you have heard, you open the door to believing (faith) them.

Words have power. If you tell someone ( speak words to them) like you are stupid and you speak these words often to that person, two things happen:

1.  You plant seeds in that person’s mind that will grow into their heart and those seeds will bring a harvest. Usually,  the harvest in this case, is anger, bitterness,  hatred, rebellion.

Proverbs 11:9 KJV. “An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.”

2.  You set your self up for a fall. You plant seeds of anger, bitterness, hatred, rebellion,  you can count on it, you will reap the harvest just as scripture says.

Galatians 6:7 KJV. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Not only do the words you speak to others impact them and their thoughts but, thinking and speaking words about or to yourself will impact you. Why do you think Satan plants seeds of anger, rejection, condemnation, bitterness, ungodliness, unbelief?  Satan knows if he can get your mind, your thoughts to think on these things, he can destroy you. He can ruin your life. He can get you to believe lies. He can get you to reject God and his word. He can get you to focus on your flesh and carnal things and not the spirit man and God. Do you see why Satan is called our enemy?

Colossians 1:21 speaks of us as enemies in our mind and look at
1 Peter 5:8-10 KJV. “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.”

How do we resist him? In the faith. What is faith? Believing. Thoughts you believe in your mind and heart. So we resist the enemy by what we believe about God’s word. We believe what God says no matter what thoughts pop into our mind. Peter says, knowing. Knowing has to do with thought, the mind.

Not only do we need to be on guard for the negative thoughts planted in our mind, we also need to guard the positive thoughts. Remember, Satan is a deceiver.  He is a liar and the father of lies. There are a few  “preachers”  on TV  that preach planting financial seeds. There is nothing wrong with giving of your wealth (that God gave you anyway) to help others. But when one preaches planting a  ” financial seed”  to get a blessing, you can not buy blessings from God. God does not work that way according to his word. Peter and Paul speak of this in 2 Peter and Romans 16.

2 Peter 2:3 KJV  “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

Feigned words are words imagined or made up. These are words they make up in their mind and speak to you.

Romans 16:17-18 KJV. “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
[18] For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

How do they make merchandise of you? With feigned words. Words they speak that they have made up or imagined. Another words, not the words of God in the scriptures,  but they made them up from their imagination. Remember,  imagination is a soul attribute. The mind. The Deceiver got them in their mind so they imagined something to be so that is not. They are deceived. I know this from scripture.

Satan put a thought in their mind with half truths, just like he did with Eve. And he deceived them. They entertained the thought that was planted in their mind opening the door to believing the thought to be true. Not based on scripture though, based on what they think,  based on half truths. The thought went into their heart and now they believe it to be true and they look for validation by people obtaining  ” things “. None of it is spirit based, Holy Spirit based.

God’s principles are laid out in scripture.  Proverbs deals with a lot of fundamentals. You could go through Proverbs and label each chapter with key principles.  Example:

Proverbs 8 is the business man’s guide
Proverbs 11 is on money and wealth
Proverbs 7 is on deceitful woman
Proverbs 16 a guide to your words
Proverbs 28 the difference between an evil man and a righteousness man

Friends, we have to guard our mind. Guard our thoughts. Renew our mind with the word of God. The enemy is subtle and will try to deceive us by planting half truths in our thoughts.

2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 KJV
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come , except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

We are warned over and over and over in scripture to not be deceived. Where does deception happen? Yup, in the mind. Our thoughts. What we think. And over and over God warns us to not be deceived. God is the only truth. God is THE Creator of all and only he is truth. So if you want to be sure you are not deceived, look up the issue in the scripture to see what saith the Lord.

Until next time, God loves you. God created you for his glory to do a work here in this world, for him. He will reward you for your labours.

Your Thinking Decides Your Reality Part 1

Your thinking decides your reality. Some would say isn’t that the power of positive thinking? No because, just because you think something, does not make it so. You can think you are not in debt, does not mean you are not in debt. Thinking about heaven does not mean you will go to heaven. Thinking about overcoming the mountains in your life does not mean you overcome those  mountains, something is missing. Thinking starts in the mind. We think about things in our mind.

But God’s word says, ” For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: ” Proverbs 23:7 KJV

So how do we get what we think into our heart? If what we think in our head, our mind, has to get into our heart for it to be realized, how do we move our thoughts from our mind to our heart?

Scripture makes it very clear. What you speak and faith moves thoughts from your mind into your heart. Romans 10:1-8 explain Israel knew God. But Israel thought they had to establish their righteousness by keeping the law of Moses. Israel thought they had to keep the law and their mind was on the law, works of the flesh. Very few had God in their hearts.

When you have thoughts of God and you want to please God, is it because you are trying to obey rules or because you love God? When you really love someone, you speak about them. You tell others about this person you are really in love with. Then you act on your love for the person. You buy them gifts, you take them to their favorite place for dinner or you cook their meal. You want to spend time with them. You are willing to give yourself, your money, your possessions to that person you love with all your heart.

When you think on someone or something, you speak about it. You tell others. It does not matter if it is things (new house, car, computer) or a new career path or cooking, or God. When you start speaking your thoughts, they get into your heart. When they get into your heart, you act on them. Your acting on them is demonstrating a working faith.

And now the thought that came into your mind, you started to speak and moved that thought into your heart – how? By believing, faith that you can do it. Faith that you can have it. Faith that you believe God. And you continue to speak it. You continue to live accordingly. You believe.

See, Romans 10:8 – The word is nigh thee (it is in your mind), even in your mouth, and it is moved into your heart, what word? The word of faith, which we preach. The word of faith is God’s word being preached. God’s word is spoken, preached. When God’s word is spoken / preached, it gets into people’s mind / thoughts and it moves to their heart by faith (believing God). But it does not stop here.

Romans 10 Verses 9, 10 – tell us if you want to go to heaven, you must confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus. You must speak it with your mouth. Not think it, but speak it with your mouth. And believe in your heart that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, thou shall be saved. And as Proverbs says, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

God’s method for getting saved is made plain. You hear the word of God preached. You think in your mind about what you are hearing. You either believe or you don’t. If you believe (faith), you will speak agreement with God and you move the thought to your heart. And –

Romans 10:10-11 KJV “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.”

Notice what makes you righteous is what you believe in your heart. And what saves you is what you speak. So believing God and his word is step one. Speaking God’s word makes it so. We will look into this more in part 2.