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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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 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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Body Parts – Soul Parts
Remember Jesus said in Matthew 13:13 – they seeing see not, they have ears hear not? So if you look at two people walking down the street, from the outside, they look the same. They both have legs, arms, head, eyes and ears. Are their arms, legs, eyes and ears who they are or are those features, their “parts”?
Chances are those two people have a family, an occupation, a home, some possessions. Do these things identify who these two people are or are these things influences in their life?
So what determines who these two people are? Their body? Their body parts? Their possessions? Ahh, some say it is what’s on the inside that counts. Well you would be on the right track if you say that. But what part or parts of the inside? And, why don’t we see what’s on the inside of people we only see what’s on the outside? What parts are on the inside of people?
And that, my friend, is the answer to many of life’s problems. What parts are on the inside of man? Soul and spirit. You see your soul shows your motives to why you do the things you do. Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. And everyone, every human being has a soul. God created every one of us with a soul, a spirit and God gave us each a body.
So what distinguishes our two people walking down the street? Their soul and their spirit. Our spirit is our spiritual part. And our soul is our mind (what we think and our motives), our will ( what moves us to do what we do) and our emotions. So why does one person give up everything to work in a mission field or give away their earthly treasures to help others and another person work to build personal possessions?
And if our body has “parts”, does our soul and spirit have “parts”? When we look at the complexities of the human body and how each part works with the other parts, we can truly say, isn’t God AMAZING!
We see many of the parts to our body but there are parts we don’t see because they are hidden inside each of us. Unless someone cuts us open to operate we do not typically see our inward, hidden parts. We see the functioning of our inward parts and know they are working because our heart is pumping our blood. Our eyes show us images from the inward parts working. Our intestines and stomach process the food we eat.
Our soul and spirit are inside us. These parts have parts and they function as well. We may not physically see these inward parts or watch how they work but we know they are working because we think, we have emotions, we have our own will and we have a sense of spiritual awareness. But if we were to separate our parts and look at the body separately and then look at our soul separately and then look at our spirit separately and examine all of their parts separately, we would get a clear picture of how amazing God is and how God put us together.
Some people think that once they die that’s it. But anyone who believes in God and his word knows that there is life after death. Can we convince those that do not believe? No, only God can change hearts, change “inward parts”. But we can pray for them and show them examples and help water their inward parts with truth from God’s word.
Our soul is an inward part. You can not see my soul and I can not see your soul. But I can see what you think based on your actions. I can see what your soul likes by what you look like and what you possess. I can see how your soul works by your problem solving skills. Not only is your soul your mind, but it is your will too and it is your emotions. If you are always depressed, I know your soul is thinking depressing thoughts frequently.
Emotions – how many emotions can you list? Happy, sad, joyful, angry, hurt, resentful, peaceful, patient, kind…..
Emotions are based on what you think. So if you are depressed, you are thinking depressing thoughts. If you are sad, you are thinking sad thoughts. I never knew I could change my thoughts up until about three years ago.
I use to think when a thought came into my mind, where did that come from or why am I thinking that? I never knew I could change or rebuke a thought. What convinced me? Jesus. We have all kinds of thoughts all day long. Our family, friends, coworkers, associates, pastor, and yes even God put thoughts into our head all the time. And when Satan attacked Job, Satan was trying to convince Job in his mind that God was angry and upset with Job. Even Job’s friends went along with that thought. But Job knew better.
And when Satan went after Jesus he spoke to Jesus. He put thoughts into Jesus’ mind. See Matthew 4 :1 – 10.
So our soul has parts:
Our mind
Our will
Our emotions
And these parts gave parts:
Imagination
Affections
Reasoning
Conscience
Memory
Emotions – characteristics of love, hate, anger, joy, etc.
Our will – what drives and motivates us
And we will pick this up from here 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.
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The Referee
2 Corinthians 5 main theme is our mortal body and our immortal body. There are some nuggets in this chapter on the spirit, soul, body and heart. After Adam and Eve sinned and died spiritually, they were also going to die physically. God never meant for us to be eternal, immortal, in this earthly body, see 2 Corinthians 5:1 and Ephesians 1. God made us of dirt, of the earth. So we have an earthly body. But God put a heavenly element in us, a spirit which is the breath of life. Our spirit is heavenly. Then God gave all of us a free will, a mind, a soul. Our soul referees our body and our spirit.
How do I know our soul referees our body and spirit? All the scriptures on faith. The just shall live by faith. We walk by faith not by sight. Without faith it is impossible to please God. How many times Jesus said, Your faith has made you whole. We know faith is “believing” something we can not see, Hebrews 11:1.
When you believe something you believe in your mind, your soul. Believing starts in the mind and moves into the heart. That’s why with faith, all things are possible with God. So when God created us, he gave us an earthly element, our fleshly body. God then gave us a heavenly element, a spirit. Then God gave us a soul, a free will, our mind. Our mind referees our spirit and body and is only limited by what we believe.
When you use your free will and believe God, that’s faith. They had Jesus with them, we have the Holy Spirit in us and God’s word. What limits us? Our mind, the referee. Remember, scripture says all things are possible with God to those who believe. If you truly believe in healing and you speak God’s word, have elders pray anoint with oil, or just by faith ask God, God still heals people.
The only thing that will limit you from victory over issues, is your own mind. The mind is the key and that’s why Satan attacks our thoughts and God tells us Isaiah 26:3 KJV. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee : because he trusteth in thee.”
You have to ask yourself, what are you allowing to go into your mind? What you allow into your mind is planting seeds in your mind and all seeds bring a harvest. Your mind is referee to your body and your spirit.
People “say” they believe God’s word but when put through a test where they have to speak and claim God’s word they make excuses. Is it they do not really believe? I don’t think so. Some people are like Gideon, they want to lay out a fleece. Others just believe God. Unbelief limits God only to the person with the unbelief. Look at Romans 3:3, ” For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” Verse 4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings,…” Friends, when you believe God and you speak God’s word over you, your family and friends, over your life, others, even some Christians, will speak against you or what you are believing God for and Satan will try to convince you that you are wrong but let God be true and every man a liar and we know Satan is a liar and the father of lies.
The key to the referee? The Holy Spirit. When you decide, with your mind, to listen to and believe God and his word, your mind gives up the referee status and makes God the Holy Spirit the referee. And that is how we live in the spirit Galatians 5:25. How we walk in the Spirit Galatians 5:16. And how we are led by the Spirit, Galatians 5:18.
Until next time my friends.
The Referee - Your Mind/Soul
Understanding Our Spirit Man Part 1
Man is used gender neutral. I say man referring to mankind.
Whether saved or lost, we all have a spirit man. You received this spirit man when God gave you life.
Question: If you are a good plumber, carpenter, technician, musician, lawyer, doctor, builder – what part of you is doing that activity?
Okay – now let’s look at – when you cook, clean, do laundry, go shopping – what “you” is doing these activities?
John 6:63 KJV
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Remember, when God formed man from the dust of the ground, man did not have life, he was a pile of dirt. It wasn’t until God breathed into him the breath of life (spirit) and man became a living soul, (Man then had a mind, will and emotions). So what caused Adam to have life? The breath of life – giving him a spirit.
Your flesh, in and of itself, can do nothing. It is just flesh, a body, a house – there are a lot of bodies in cemeteries, they cannot do anything. But put their spirit back in them and they come to life again. People spend lots of time and money pumping up their body, exercising, painting their body, cleaning their body, manicuring their body and many other functions.
So what determines what your body does? Two things – your heart and your soul. An example of this is Adam. After God made Adam and breathes into Adam the breath of life – Adam could have just laid there or stood up and done nothing. But Adam’s soul (mind, will and emotions) wanted to explore as we see in Genesis 2:15 – 20.
I ask God “lots” of questions. I asked God, How do I walk in the Spirit? How do I live in the Spirit? And how do I be led by the Spirit? Christians are told to do all 3 of these in Galatians 5:16, 18, 25.
[16] 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] And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
It wasn’t until God showed me all the decisions we make as man (mankind), come from our mind, our soul, that I understood. We think things through, we research ideas or products and processes. We study applications. We will look at what kind of a fitness program we start based on our research. We research products we buy, how to clean our house or how we take care of our property (land, house or products). We determine how we will do things based on our research.
We look at how do we raise our children, how to have a good marriage, what type of work we should pursue. We investigate geographic locations on where we should live, cost of living and retirement or savings. We base our decisions on our thoughts, our research, our emotions and even our desires. These are all soul decisions.
When we seek answers for direction – what job should I take, should I get a divorce, should I sell the house – are all questions we reason in our heart and mind – Our soul. When you ask someone, did God tell you to do this or that? And they do not know the answer – it is because they’re so used to making their decisions based on what they think – their soul. They live for themself. They live the way “they think”. Their way. Themself. We all do this.
Society – aka the world’s way – tells us to get educated in a field, work hard and you will make your worldly desires come true. Although they do not say worldly. Society also tells us to follow their ways, have their morals and do things the way they tell you to do them. This is not bad in itself – but when society’s ways go against God’s ways – we clash – Houston, we have a problem. Sadly, Christians, instead of being a light in this world, have compromised.
Mankind as a whole is not very patient. Especially today, in the 21st century, everything is instant. But God is very patient and sometimes we do not want to wait for God to teach us, show us or guide us, so we make decisions that negatively affect our life. And when you choose to be led by the Spirit – your soul – your mind – is going to give you a hissy fit. You’ll come up with all kinds of excuses why you should not let yourself listen to and hear what God is trying to tell you. Need an example? Okay.
We listen to our children play. And we hear them play. But if one starts to cry and we are busy doing something else, we don’t hear them. The results could be minor or catastrophic depending on why they cried. When we act out what our mind/soul tells us, or what our flesh is desiring, we aren’t listening to God. We are listening to our mind our soul and leaving God out of the decision. Keep in mind that our soul’s attributes include imagination, conscience, memory, reasoning and our affections.
There are many, many people – Christians included – who live life and do things based on what they think. They try to reason things out and then they act on what they decided. Sure they may pray about it or seek godly counsel – but their decisions are usually based on what their heart and mind decide. I was guilty of this for years, even after I got saved. But then God started teaching me things I knew nothing about – as a Christian – how to be led by the Spirit of God and not my own will or my own mind. We will look at this method of life, next time. God loves you – never forget that.
A Broken Heart
Understanding how your spirit, soul and body work together but, are three different parts of you, each with their own purpose, unlocks the meaning of life. Then when you see your heart is the gateway to your soul and your free will is the gateway to your spirit, you learn to protect your heart, scripture says guard your heart in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence.”
Your heart is the key. From your heart comes love, hate, evil, good, fear, courage, pride, purpose and it is your heart that God tries or tests.
When someone gets “saved” born again, if that does not come from that person’s heart, then the prayer is just a bunch of words. Romans 10:9,10 clearly say you have to believe in your heart. We serve God with all our heart Deut. 26:16. Even Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart.
Problems come when people turn their heart from God, from truth, from righteousness. Does that mean the person did not get saved? No. It means the person has allowed someone or something to turn their heart away.
Marriages are ruined because a heart has been turned, Matthew 5:28 KJV “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Your heart can cause you all kinds of trouble if you let it, you don’t guard it.
Your heart you need to examine. What is in your heart? Man’s heart is deceitful and desparately wicked God says in Jeremiah 17:9 KJV The heart is deceitful above all things , and desperately wicked: who can know it?
That is why David asked God to create a clean heart in him in Psalms 51:10.
Sometimes the heart is hurt or broken because of expectations we have. What we need to understand is only God can work on a man’s heart (Acts 16:14). We are to pray God changes hearts and believe God and his word with all our heart.
Your heart plays a key role in all the decisions you make. What is your heart telling you about you?
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