Mind: Friend or Foe?

"The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant." (Proverbs 15:26)

 "Of the wicked" and "of the pure" means that this verse speaks of two different agents. By wicked it means the ungodly and by pure it means Gods children, now notice how the verse does not say "the thoughts of the the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the thoughts of the pure are pleasant." Instead it says "the words of the pure are pleasant" now I wonder why it says that? Since we have accepted Christ into our lives aren't our thoughts always good? No! We still have bad thoughts, let me rephrase that, we still have wicked thoughts, but now that we have been transformed by the renewing our minds (Romans 12:2) we have been blessed with a clean and good conscience. Now the reason our thoughts aren't an abomination, is because the wicked act upon those thoughts, while we test those thoughts. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:19 "having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck." when we don't look and determine our thoughts according to a heavenly standpoint and ask of the Holy Spirits assistance, we reject that good conscience God has so graciously blessed us with and we suffer a shipwreck in our faith. For Jesus said in Matthew 12:34-37;

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

 Now if we could just remember those words everytime were about to open our big mouths we would be prefectly fine. But we don't were human were prone to error, so how do we keep our mouth to speak of justice? Were going to always have to be consistently guarding our thoughts. Ya we could do that or we could be as the wise psalmist David, who was two steps ahead of his foolish talk and bad thoughts, he said;

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

A.D.-Anno Domini!

 "Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." (2 Timothy 1:9)

In this verse we pick up two major words; justification and sanctification.

"Who has saved us" meaning justification, which literally means declared innocent or blameless.

Then "called us with a holy calling" meaning sanctification, which literally means to make holy or consecrate.

We can understand that those phrases are refering to those words by reading the rest of the verse, it goes on to say "not according to our works" it is impossible for us to try and earn our way into heaven, it is only by God's grace, forgiveness, and purpose that we may recieve everlasting life.
Now the way we see the words justification and sanctification being used in this verse is by the next phrase Paul says "but according to His purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" by His grace we are justified and continue to be sanctified and also by His purpose we are sanctified, but first by God's purpose we are justified for Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:25 "if God perhaps will grant them repentance" So we see that to be justified and sanctified it comes from God's grace and purpose. Now when we accept Christ into our life we recieve everlasting life and we are justified and there is no condemnation toward us, (Romans 8:1) but God's plan doesn't just stop there He wants sanctification, He loves us so much that He literally wants us to be just like Him, "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16) So by the power of God's Spirit He allows us to have His character qualities, the fruit of Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-23) that we may imitate God, just as a young boy will imitate his father. (Ephesians 5:1) You see when we imitate someone it is very easy to match up our actions, but when we imitate someone because we admire their objective our actions almost become transparent. With that being said to intimately imitate Christ we must gaze upon His heart and just as the psalmist David was, we must be after God's own heart.

Now scripture declares God's heart a countless amount of times, but the verse I'm going to bring up is, 1 Timothy 2:4 "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." That is the very desire of God, now I bring this verse up because what do we see in this verse, we see once again justification and sanctification, "all men to be saved" refering to salvation which is justification then "to come to the knowledge of the truth" refering to a growth in a believers life which is sanctification.
You see when we literally understand the Christian salvation and consecration; we recognize that our privilege of the fulfilling The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and The Great Commandment (John 15:12-17) is energized, motivated, and put to action by God Himself, for without Him we are capable to do, nothing! (John 15:5) "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:21)

God is amazing!

This is incredible...The genealogy of Jesus, from Adam to Noah their names and meanings. God has a plan for every person, He is so detailed in His plan for you that even your name He has given you for a purpose and a plan to glorify Him. (Ephesians 3:20) It was comforting to me I hope the same for you.


Adam means "Man"

Seth means "appointed"

Enosh means "mortal"

Cainan means "sorrow"

Mahalalel means "the blessed God"

Jared means " shall come down"

Enoch means "teaching"

Methuselah means "his death shall bring"

Lamech means " to the poor and lonely"

Noah means "comfort and rest"

If you put those names in one big sentence we see that Christ's redemption was going to take place even before the foundation of the earth. The sentence is "Man appointed mortal sorrow. The blessed God shall come down teaching that His death shall bring the poor and lonely, comfort and rest!" What a big God we worship! Love you!

Repentance!

I search for more when I've hit the core, I wonder to myself if I'm even pure. To heaven I search, but hell's behind trying to trip me up in it's evil bind. For how do I walk? What shall I show? Lord.....I know, You know! Teach me how, even how to bow, put my hands to the plow. Leave me not hunger in soul, lest I be, a wicked fool. For You are my strength and my shield, ready my heart for the battlefield. Revive me, oh LORD according to Thy will, return to my heart the sense to feel. Bestow me love that's all for You, that in my life I know what to do. For how do I walk? What shall I show? Oh Lord..... I know, You know! Take me, my Lord away from here, "My son, do not fear!" oh how I can hear, You whispering in my ear. Restore my love, steadfast my passion, oh Jesus give words of intercession. For You are my God and exceeding reward, I count it as a privilege to call You my Lord. But Lord, Lord will I not do, what it is You said to. For how do I walk? What shall I show? Oh Lord...... I know, You know. Spread forth Your joy and renew my strength, that I may go to Your desired length. For Your ear is not heavy, nor Your arm to short, preserve me my God for Thy heavenly court!

Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength!

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:9-10

 The word heart in this verse refers to the mind, alot of times in scripture the heart is the word in place for the word mind.

For instance, Matthew 5:28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a women to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Jesus here uses the word heart but is refering to the mind, that when a person gazes at the opposite sex wanting that person sexually they have mentally committed adultery.

Now back to Jeremiah the Lord says that the heart, the mind, is deceitful above all things and desperatly wicked.

You see the mind is great for thinking of answers, solving puzzles, and understanding certain things better, but the moment we let our mind wonder we set ourselves up for failure.

Imagine yourself in a creek your jumping from rock to rock because you don't want to fall into the water. Then suddenly you come across a rock that is a little distance away from you but in range to jump on. The moment you hesitate to make the jump your mind tells you that you won't make it and you begin to fail before you even try. That is exactly what happens in our own Christian walk, we let our minds decieve us and we forget that our minds are programed to this world and the abilities of this world.

The mind is good with ideas, but should not be in the driver seat of our actions.Our soul and spirit should be the source of our actions.

In Romans 12:2 the bible says "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and prefect will of God" Now notice how Paul says "that you may prove" after talking about a renewed mind. When we accept Christ, He doesn't just erase your mind and give you a new one what He does is gives you a good and clean conscience. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:3 "I thank God, whom I served with a pure conscience" Now your clean conscience is your God given ability to be able to prove what God's will is. You see your spirit tells the heart what it wants and your heart tells your mind what it needs to do. The mind then proves to see if this is acceptable to Christ, if we reject our conscience we then suffer a shipwreck in our faith 1 Timothy 1:19.

Back in Jeremiah the Lord says that He tests the mind, how does He test our mind? In 2 Corinthians 10:5 the bible says "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." So every perception and intention that is against God we need to take captive to the obedience of Christ. We should not cling to the thoughts that do not conform to scripture and the life of Christ. Now I'm not saying Jesus brings bad thoughts in our head to see what we do with them, No! We do that for ourselves, but seeing as everything is naked and open to His eye that includes our thoughts Hebrews 4:13.

Christ then sees what we do with those thoughts and gives each man according to his own ways. So instead of being caught up in religion and fake obedience which is your mind telling your heart what to do, give God the glory by being His true follower and have genuine obedience which is your heart telling your mind what to do.

Let the love of Christ shine on you and through you, for "above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfection-Colossians 3:14." And let all that you do be done with love, God's love! 1 Corinthians 16:14

-Soli Deo Gloria: For God's glory alone-

Got Power?...Get Jesus!

Now there is a passage in the Gospel of Mark where we find two people in desperate need of a miracle. You see the Gospel of Mark, records more, and in much detail, Jesus' miracles then any other Gospel writer. For Mark, these miracles were demonstrations of Jesus' power over diseases, the forces of evil, and even nature. 

Now in Mark 5:21-43 we see the power and authority of Jesus, and how much He cares for us in the most lowest times of our lives. Also, we see two kinds of faith, I like to call them "Idle Faith" and "Action Faith." 

Now in verse 21 "Jesus crossed over again by boat to the other side" in Mark 5:1 were told that Jesus was with the Gadarenes, in Gadara, so if He traveled back across the sea of Galilee then Jesus was in Capernaum. 

When He gets to shore He is already surrounded by a great multitude, then in verses 22-23 we see a "ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name." Came to Jesus and "fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying 'My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live'." 

So we begin in this passage that Jaruis is already in a deep hole, aware of Jesus' miraculous power Jairus approached Jesus begging Him to help his daughter. "So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him." Mark 5:24 

The word thronged literally means "to push upon" or "filled with people." Now the next part of the passage is interesting, in the midst of a little girl who "lies at the point of death." Jesus stops heals a woman then has a conversation with her. I love it, because it shows so vividly how Jesus is calm in the midst of a major crisis. He knows that the will of the Father is much stronger than any problems we may face. "Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment." Mark 5:25-27 

Now this woman with excessive blood flow was considered unclean and anything she touched would be considered unclean as well, for at least a day. Leviticus 15:25-27 but in just these three verses we see how rapid this womans faith grew. She went from trusting in doctors and medicine (vs. 26) to having enough faith (while being considered unclean) to touch Jesus' garment. 

So why do you think Jesus would heal her? She was unclean according to scripture, and how dare her touch Jesus? So what was it that lead Him to have mercy on her? 

I believe it was the woman's "Action Faith" which lead to her humbleness and decree. How do we know she was humble? Because in Matthew 9:20 he records that the woman "touched the hem of His garment" indicating that the women believed that if she could just touch the border of His clothes she would be healed, this is the action from a woman who had spent all that she had to try and get better. So I believe that if someone spends all they have and not get better, then just believes that if she touches the hem of His garment she would be healed, that's humbleness. You see if she wasn't humble and she was just going to Jesus because He is the last resort she would have probably approached Him and said "I've spent everything and it didn't work, let's see what you can do." Instead she showed meekness. Now verse 28 shows us the difference between "Idle Faith" and "Action Faith" the woman while touching Jesus' garment says "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." There's the decree, she declares what Jesus could do for her. She had enough faith to take action and declare her healing. In Job 22:28 scripture says, "You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you;" So we see that this woman was willing to declare her healing, and left the establishment up to God, so her faith motivated her to act. Now in verses 29&30 the word "immediately" is used twice, indicating that both the woman and Jesus simultaneously knew what had happened. 

The woman had no idea that Jesus had consciously healed her. So He turns around and asks "Who touched My clothes?" 
I think He asked this question for two reason: 
1). She was humble in her faith so He wanted to exalt her by commending her faith. Luke 14:11
2). He wanted to correct any mistaken notion she may have about her healing, it was not any magical quality of His clothes, but His divine will that had made her well. 

You see no one was aware of the healing which took place, as we see in verse 31, but in verse 32 Jesus is "looking around to see her" indicating that He knew who touched Him, then He commends her faith in verse 34 saying "Your faith has made you well, Go in peace, and be healed of your afflication." While He was talking to her. Someone came from the "ruler of the synagogue's house and said, 'Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?'" Mark 5:35 

"As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, 'Do not be afraid; only believe.'" (vs. 36) 

Now I'm going to get into what I mean about "Idle Faith" and "Action Faith" both of them are commendable don't get me wrong, Jairus' faith was unshakable but the woman's faith was unwavering. You see the reason the woman's healing is in this passage is to show us the kind of faith we need to have when were at the lowest times in our life. Jairus had just got the news that his daughter was dead, I'm pretty sure he was at the lowest time in his life. But you see when we are faced with those bad times it's how we answer that situation that's going to get us through our bad times, in Proverbs 15:23 the Bible says, "A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!" 

The woman answered her problem, and declared "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." You see she took herself out of the natural (taking things from many physicians) and placed herself in the supernatural (If only I could touch His garment) when we are in the natural I'm telling you, you will lose the battle of faith every time. Satan has been dealing with people for thousands of years, what makes you so special that you think you could beat him? But when we are in the supernatural we take on "the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked one." (Ephesians 6:16) not some off Satan's tactics but all of them can't be defeated when we live in the supernatural realm of faith. Now Jairus had faith but I don't believe he had that supernatural faith to declare a healing upon his daughter, now notice the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ in verse 36 Jairus gets news that his daughter had just died, and Jesus says, "Do not be afraid; only believe." Now Jesus is still saying those words today, when we can't handle a problem then it just gets worst and we use that old saying "I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel" Jesus is saying "Do not be afraid; only believe." He's saying "I'm not of this world, and since you've accepted Me into your heart well then neither are you, so take yourself out of the abilities of your mind, and put yourself into the abilities of mine!" 

Now look here in verse 37 Jesus is about to call upon a mighty miracle, and He only wants Peter, James, and John the brother of James to go with Him. You see from this passage we see already that their are some Christians who don't have enough faith to call upon a miracle and we see that their are some who do. Now the reason I think Jesus only picks three is because I believe He knew they were miracle calling Christians, when He walked in that room I don't think He wanted His disciples to get discouraged when they see a dead body. But I think He picked the disciples who had a supernatural outlook on life. You see if I ever get sick, I don't want people around me hugging me with sympathy because they don't see light at the end of the tunnel, instead I want those Christians who are daring enough to declare a healing and let the Lord do the rest. So then Jesus goes in the house and see everyone crying, and He says "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping." Now here is where we find Jesus' authority He talks about this girls death as if it's not permanent. Then the crowd laughs at Him, that's what Satan will do, is he'll make people laugh at you to get you out of your supernatural mind set and back to the natural were he can beat you. But Jesus wasn't intimidated and neither should we be. 

He simply said "Talitha, cumi" which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Mark 5:42 

Now this is a wonderful passage to see two people at the lowest times of their lives, both having faith, yet one of them declaring that faith. 

So next time you think you don't see light at the end of the tunnel, look at your problem and into the future through the eyes of Jesus Christ, for "You will declare a thing, and it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways." Job 22:28

Prerequisite To Be A Righteous Man!

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you-But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

This verse shows us the attitude we must have in true worship. The word worship means devotion to deity, thus in order to show devotion to God we must obtain certain godly virtues. In Micah 6:8 the Bible says "what does the Lord require of you" the idea is that the Lord is seeking such people with characteristics of true worship, for "God is Spirit, a those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24) then the Bible goes on to mention the actual requirements of true worship, (1) to do justly, (2) to love mercy, (3) to walk humbly with your God. These three requirements summarize biblical piety in true worship. The first is "Justly" to live with a moral standard, our standard of living is the Bible, "This Book of Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way properous, and then you will have good succes." (Joshua 1:8) so to live justly we must be submissive to the Holy Spirit and God's word. Then it says "to love mercy" notice it doesn't say "to show mercy" there's a big different when we our commanded to show mercy and when we love to show mercy. Mercy is parallel virtue to forgiveness; to show forgiveness is to show mercy. Therefore the things that are said about forgiveness are also true corcerning mercy. For we should love mercy, just as our Father in heaven loves mercy, for if we do not show mercy than no mercy will be shown to us come judgement day. (James 2:13) You see in Exodus 34:6-7 God explains His own character "the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." What a beautiful God we serve, whom upholds those characteristics, notice the idea of mercy and forgiveness, it is mentioned four times in Exodus 34:6-7 but one phrase of mercy stands out "keeping mercy for thousands" the point of this phrase is that God is more willing to show His mercy than His wrath. So then if the God of the universe has mercy on people and forgives them of all iniquity and transgression and sin, who are we to not show mercy and forgiveness? Then lastly in Micah 6:8 the Bible declares "to walk humbly with your God" now this phrase not only shows us that we need God to give us strength, courage, and the ability to exercise virtues of a righteous life. But it shows us that God does not force anything upon us it says to "walk" when we walk we are in a steady and easy action. Walking is second nature for us, in the same way God wants our spiritual walk to be so natural that we our so meek to His Spirit. He earnestly seeks those who desire an inimate relationship with Him, for when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. (James 4:8) God seeks those who want to be filled with His righteousness, He looks for those who are going to acknowledge Him in the good and the bad. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand." (Psalm 37:23-24)