Ephesians 4:23-24 – “…that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and  holiness of the truth.” NASB

Romans 12:2 – “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” NASB

Sometimes, when I hear teaching about the thought life, I almost feel like I am in a “metaphysical conference” and being taught “mind over matter” and other forms of “mind control.”  I have had experience with that to a degree in my training in Vietnam and had the ability to totally block out pain so I could function for a time regardless of the injury. 

As I came to Christ, I stopped practicing that technique because I considered it, at best, to border on the “metaphysical” and did not want to align myself with anything of the demonic world.

Yet, it is clear from Scripture that the Bible teaches us to take control of our “minds” or our “thought lives,” and we are instructed to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  We are taught the importance of “renewing” the mind, which is essentially “thinking the thoughts of God.” 

We are replacing our carnal, worldly, earthly, natural thinking with thoughts inspired by the heavenly realm and from the perspective of God’s Omniscience.  It is “transforming” and allows us to “guard” our thoughts, “recognize” the intrusion of things foreign to the things of God, and exercise “discernment” when things look good on the surface but hidden beneath are elements of destruction.

A “renewed mind” is a mind that is focused on God first and foremost.  It is completely obedient to His desire, will, and purposes.  It enables us to put on the “new self” in righteousness, and holiness and walk in His truth.  It enables us to walk not in conformation to the world’s mindset but to march to a different drummer, The Holy Spirit, and walk pleasing to God in all things.  It enables us to see, know, discover, prove, and pursue the will of God and walk in a state of Peace that the world neither understands nor can provide.

Our minds are somewhat like computers, and the old adage “garbage in, garbage out” is completely appropriate.  If we feed our minds garbage, we will find our lives filled with the debris of this world and cluttered with things that hinder our walk in Christ. 

If we fill our minds with the things of God, we find that we are able to stand against and resist the temptations of this life and walk in harmony with His Word, Will, and Way.  We do this through prayer, study of His Word, listening to the Holy Spirit and actively standing against things we know and recognize to be foreign to Him, His nature, and character.

I have no interest in “mind over matter,” but I am interested in having a “spiritual mind” that honors Christ and walks in obedience to His call and purpose.  May you find that as you feed your spiritual man, your mind is renewed daily, your thought life becomes clearer, your peace becomes stronger, and your understanding of spiritual things becomes greater! 

Blessings as you pursue His purposes for your life.  Have a beautiful Sunday in the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

1 Peter 2:1-5 – “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  NASB

I have always found this to be a fascinating passage.  I believe it is God’s Word to the Church at this hour!  I believe the Church, the Body of Christ, has come to a ‘new phase’ in its development and progress in the Kingdom!  I believe we are at a new juncture on our road to Becoming that which God has designated and desired for us to be now. 

If we are to become One Body and function as a body to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for our sphere of influence and world, we must become a Spiritual House rather than be a Stone Pile filled with individual stones.

• We MUST Realize and Know Who We Are.

We will never fully know who we are until we truly know whose we are.  I do not mean the religious cliché “I’m God’s;” I mean Him – His person, nature, character, love, grace, trustworthiness, etc.  We must come to know the Covenant Maker and Keeper, who is GOD!  I am talking about intimacy with Him, not familiarity with Him.

• We MUST Come to Know His Covenant and His Kingdom.

Covenantal Relationships are the ‘foundation for function’ in the Body of Christ and life.  They provide power, provisions, and promises of Covenant are to be walked out in daily living.  I believe that as we know God’s Covenant and Kingdom, we come to know God and thereby know Who We Are!

• We MUST Come to Know God’s Pattern for Function Locally.

I have often called this the “Jethro Principle,” revealed to and practiced by Moses in the wilderness and Jesus in the New Testament.  I believe it is the pattern for Body Ministry and the only way to successfully reach and develop the harvest.  Here, we come to know God’s Truths about Body Ministry, Team Ministry, Apostolic authority, and function rather than position.  It is here that we are able to pull down religious hierarchies and come to maturity in Christ.

• We MUST Become a Spiritual House that is FULLY FUNCTIONING. 

We must be ‘fitted and framed’ together as a unit, house, body, and family, with the parts functioning as the whole.  In this condition, we ‘reproduce’ and ‘disciple’ others, enabling them to function fully as a part of the Body of Christ, God’s Spiritual House.

We are Living Stones, and the problem with living stones is that we have minds and wills of our own.  We do our own thing; we do not stay where we have been placed and have egos, ambitions, and feelings. 

Unlike natural building stones, we present a unique problem in building.  We are not inanimate objects but Living Stones, and as living stones, we are literally ‘cells’ in the Body of Christ and linked to each other cells by the blood.  It is imperative that we ‘die to self’ in order to ‘live unto Him.’  Truly, the words of John the Baptist are fitting – “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

I urge you to make it your objective and purpose to become a Spiritual House rather than a Stone in a Stone Pile.   

May God be with you as you go through your day!

John 8:31-32 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” NKJV

The NASU lists it as “… if you continue in My word….”  NIV – “…If you hold to My teachings…”  NLT – “…if you keep obeying my teachings….”

It is sometimes surprising how often we fail to notice simple little phrases in what the Bible teaches and either ignore them to fit our doctrine or miss them because we are reading with a preconceived notion of what it should say or should mean.  Here is a most powerful statement by our Lord that contains an “if” or a Conditional Phrase.

Jesus said to His followers regarding their relationship with Him that IF you “abide,” “continue,” “obey,” or “continue obeying” my word, my doctrine, my teachings, my truth, you are or shall be “My Disciples Indeed.”  Then He adds an addendum without price in its value – – “You shall “know” the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

Spiritual freedom comes through relationship, and relationship comes through obedience to Him and His word.  That is inescapable!  The idea is “continued obedience,” not one-time “acceptance.”  It is a “maintained relationship,” not signing a membership card and paying regular dues like a club membership. 

It is a personal relationship maintained through communication, communion, and commitment.  In too many ways and too many situations, we seem to have lost that, and it is time for the church and God’s people to return to their “First Love” and restore that relationship and commitment to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

May God bless you as you continue your new week of opportunity in His service and Kingdom!  Blessings!

Luke 14:11- “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  NASB

In this passage, Jesus gave a parable as He noticed the guests picking out places of honor for themselves.  He used the occasion to highlight the fatal flaw in that tendency and thinking. 

Sadly, many today are so driven to be recognized and esteemed that they exalt themselves.  Jesus reminded His audience of this by using the scenario of the guests being invited to a wedding feast.  He warned them not to take the place of honor because someone more distinguished and recognized than they might arrive, and the host would embarrass them by asking them to move down to a lesser position.  The result would be such embarrassment that they would assume the lowest place in shame.  Public humiliation and self-pity would be the by-products of this. 

He suggested that when invited, go, and recline at the lowest place, and the host would come and ask them to move it, and the result would be recognition by everyone in the room rather than embarrassment and shame. 

Jesus told them in verse 11 that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, which is painful. I know I have tasted it.  He declared that the one who humbles himself will be exalted, and I have tasted that as well.  I like the feeling of the latter far better than the former.  We have all, at times, felt more important than we are or should feel about ourselves, which is a dangerous mindset and attitude. 

I am not suggesting self-flagellation but humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord and allowing Him to cause us to be elevated or lifted up to the place He desires.  You are not the focus of all things, nor is it required that you be the center of attention.  You do not have to lead in every situation unless you lead by example; demonstrating humility is the leadership that you demonstrate. 

If God wants you to be the head, He will cause you to be promoted to that position.  If God wants you to develop humility, He may allow you to be given a lesser position without fanfare and notice.  Since it is His Church that is being built, the position is not what is important but obedience.  It is allowing God to place the gift required for the situation in the lead spot and placing you in the mix where you can best lend to the advancement of the Kingdom.

May God be with you as you go through this day!

James 4:1-10 – “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” NASB

In our spiritual walk, we are either moving upward toward godliness or downward toward wickedness.  This pathway is not a level plane but an incline.  If we stop, we begin to move backward, so there must always be forward progress.  Forward progress requires involvement and action on our part.  I am not suggesting in any way that we can or should try to “earn” our salvation, but I am suggesting that our faith needs our works added to it to complete our spiritual growth and spiritual development.

James identifies the reasons for conflict in the church: “carnality” and “self.”  He powerfully identifies the root problem in numerous areas, which leads him to identify why we are not getting our prayers answered, as seen in verse three. 

He further informs us that if we are friends of this world that is hostile to God, we are joining in that hostility.  He pointedly tells us that pride is destructive and divisive and a characteristic that God rejects implicitly, but to the humble, God extends grace.   He then makes an impassioned plea that we submit to God and, in doing so, resist the devil, and as a result, the closer we get to God, the further the devil flees because He knows the Power of God and fears Him. 

He calls on us to purify our hearts, cleanse our hands, and stop being double-minded.  James declares that if we submit ourselves to God in true humility, He will exalt us. 

So, the way to the top or the bottom is found in this short passage.  We can continue to allow our own selfish desires to dominate, or we can resign as the center of our universe and allow God to occupy that spot.  If we allow God top billing in our lives, we will ascend to the Holy Hill of the Lord and be exalted.  If we continue to be the center of our universe, we will descend to the bottom. The choice is truly ours.

So, as you go through this day, go through it with the realization that ascending or descending is your choice.  Choose to ascend by emptying yourself of self and allow God to be Number One in your heart, mind, soul, and spirit.  

God bless you abundantly as you go through this day!

John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  NASB

In His discourse on being the Vine and the Father, the vinedresser Jesus informed those hearing that He expected His followers to “bear fruit,” and if there were no “fruit-bearing,” that branch would be taken away.  He talked about cleansing the vine by pruning and told those listening that they were clean already because of His Word. 

He identified that there could be no fruit except from the life of the Vine and that since we are branches and He is the vine, our fruit is the result of the life that exudes from the vine.  Then, in verse seven, He makes a statement that far too often is taken as a stand-alone passage but must be viewed in the context of the whole – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask WHATEVER you wish, and it will be done for you.”  (Emphasis mine).

This door to the miraculous is conditioned not only upon the context of the whole but hinges on the tiny word – IF.  The two facets of the “if” are abiding in Him and His words abiding in us.  In light of drawing life from the Vine and producing fruit, He identifies that we are recipients of life, and as living branches, we produce fruit because we are Abiding IN Him, and His Words are Abiding in us! 

That is the flow to us and from us. We receive of His life, and as a result of that reception, we produce fruit, which produces seed, which produces more fruit, and the cycle is endless.  In that context, we can “Ask what we wish and receive answers to our prayers.”

Unfortunately, it would seem that too often, we either are not abiding in Him, and His words are not abiding in us to the level that He is our All-in-All.  We are living in a relatively casual relationship rather than a totally committed life in which we “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.”  

In that life, we neither expect that whatever we wish or pray to come to pass nor are we in a condition of heart to attain faith to receive.  Contrarily, if we are abiding in Him and His words are abiding in us, His life will prod us to the level of life that we live in expectancy. We will become the fulfillment of His promise that “the Works that He did we will do and greater works because He has gone to the Father.”  We will exhibit in this life the life of Jesus, and through the fruit of that relationship, others will be positively impacted for the Kingdom. 

The operative word is IF.  If we abide in Him.  If His words abide in us.  IF is the condition and the conduit through which the life that brings the faith for the miraculous.  Lord, help me change the IF to I DO!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Revelation 4:1 – “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven…” NASB

While there are many paths I could take with this text, I only want to pursue one: “Heaven’s Open Door.”  Just the other day, I was listening to some old Gospel Music.  One song, “I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before,” made its way into the rotation of songs, and this scripture came to mind. 

The song says, “I can see the Father standing at the door.”  That reminded me of the parable of the Prodigal Son and how the father saw the returning wayward son at a great distance and ran to meet him.  That suggests that he was always “looking” for the return of his wayward child and possibly standing in the doorway of his house looking out the window, hoping against hope that his lost son would return. 

I can imagine our Heavenly Father looking over His creation at the doorway of Heaven and longing for us to “return to Him with a whole heart.”  At times, I can almost hear the sobs of the Father and my Lord Jesus as they weep over the condition of mankind in this day that we live.

When I think of a “Door Open in Heaven,” several things come to mind.  That tells me that there is “open access” to God’s throne through prayer and how we need to take advantage of that invitation and opportunity.  It suggests that God eagerly awaits us to petition Him and is willing to dispatch help to us at a moment’s notice.

The picture that comes to my heart’s mind is that of a loving parent watching over their children and ready to protect and nurture them if there is the need and willing to let them spread their wings to learn to fly.  I sense that there is a “Door Open in Heaven,” and that God is extending a personal invitation for us to “enter in” through the vehicle of prayer, commune with Him, and receive from Him His supply.

Whatever you do as you go through this day, hold in the reality in your heart and mind that there is an “Open Door in Heaven” for you right now!  

May God be with you and bless you richly!

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 – “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” NKJV

Our personal liberty and the conscience of a weaker brother or sister has always been and will always be an issue in the Church.  How far do we press our liberty before we become a stumbling block for a “weaker brother”?  Is there a time to say, “Grow up and realize that different people have different convictions”?  Is exercising our liberty worth causing another to stumble?  How you answer those questions will determine how you relate to those around you.

There was a time in my Christian walk when I felt that everyone should hold the same convictions (often only opinions) that I did, and if they did not, they were “carnal” at best and “backslidden” at worst.  Most of the time, I considered that the same and was a Pharisee of Pharisees! 

It took God rattling my cage significantly to cause me to rethink my way of thinking and to understand that I am not God’s Fruit Inspector. He can handle that job just fine.  Likewise, I learned, although in my heart I knew it, that most of what I called “convictions” were simply “opinions” and did not have the weight of Scripture.  An opinion is just that and may and should change if new light is brought. 

If God “convicts” your heart over an action, belief, or anything, you should follow what God says implicitly and explicitly.  Yet you must always remember that what God “convicts” you of, He may not convict another.  The roots of that conviction often stem from something within you or the geographic region in which you live and the mindset of those around you.  God will bring conviction to your heart for your benefit, not so you can attempt to impose it on everyone else, which would be what a Pharisee does.

There have been times when I could have done something but knew that those around me would be hindered in their Christian walk if they saw me.  So, in the interest of another, I choose to abstain.  In traveling to other parts of the country and world, I have found many differing views on various things that Christians do or do not do, and sometimes, the dogmatism is so strong that no amount of reason or biblical teaching can break it. 

Unless God brings light to the heart, that person or persons will remain as they are.  Attempting to legislate a particular mindset or lifestyle to them would be futile and brings to mind the old saying: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”  They may yield to your insistence, but their hearts and minds have not truly changed.  You are not God, so why try to be? 

As you go through your day, realize that what you do and say will impact others, so choose your words and deeds carefully; considering another for your liberty is not worth hindering another in their pursuit of GOD and His Grace!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Matthew 4:8-11 – “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, ” All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'”  11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”  NASB

It would be impossible in a short devotional to fully exegete this subject, but I want to say a few things with the hope of giving you comfort and hope in your daily walk, work, and spiritual warfare. 

This is a fascinating passage. Here the devil insinuates to Jesus that he, the devil, has authority over the kingdoms of this world.  Jesus did not dispute that; therefore, I conclude it was true.  The Bible refers to the devil as being the “god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Jesus called him the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31, and Paul addressed him as “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. 

Therefore, before the Cross and Resurrection, when Jesus walked the earth, the devil had “legal authority” in the world and with man.  How did that happen?  It happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in their rebellion and the Fall of Man.  In Genesis 1:26-28 we find God gave Adam “dominion” over the earth and everything that lived in and on it. 

Adam and Eve were to “subdue” and “have dominion” over the earth.  Man was to “live forever” and “fill” or “replenish” the earth.  In the Garden, God walked and talked with him, and man was in a perfect state of peace and purity, living in harmony with and in total obedience to God.  In that state, they were not only made in the image of God; they represented and manifested Him in all that He was.

There was a problem coming through which Adam and Eve would be tested to determine the future of man on earth.  Lucifer, as described by Ezekiel and Isaiah, a cherub angel created by God, began to be filled with Pride and a thirst for power and position.  He wanted to be “like the most high,” and in his heart, he began to desire to be a “possessor of heaven and earth.”  

I suggest that he didn’t just want to be “like” God; he wanted to “be” God.  His Pride and Rebellion resulted in one-third of the angels following him in that rebellion, and God evicted him from heaven.  At that point, Lucifer or Satan became God’s chief enemy.  He had polluted heaven with sin and rebellion requiring purging, and now he was roaming the earth seeking to do the same and bring God’s creation into a state of rebellion.  The devil knew that in order to control the Earth, he would, of necessity, have to control the human race. 

In Genesis 3, we read the record of Eve’s deception and her role in the deception and seduction of Adam in this rebellion against God.  The devil presented them with a lie, or better, The Lie, and used their reason against them.  His suggestion that God was keeping something good from them and they deserved more prominence, position, control, and power produced an infection that resulted in Rebellion. 

The command of God to not eat the fruit could have been a command not to cross a stream or anything.  The object is not the fruit but the act, it was Rebellion and Disobedience!  Adam and Eve were co-regents of the Earth. In their action of rebellion, they legally relinquished their crown to the devil and separated themselves from God’s care, keeping, and covering.  This gave the devil legal ownership or rulership in the Earth.

Jesus came as the Last Adam and legally took back the rulership from the devil through his sinless life and sacrificial death.  Jesus has stripped the devil of his legal authority, and since we are in Christ, we are not subject to the lordship of the “god of this world.”  

If we are born-again, the devil has no Legal Authority in our lives. When we allow him to operate, we are allowing a criminal to openly and without confrontation take our possessions.  We have been given weapons of warfare that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 

We are more than conquerors through Jesus.  Do not accept the idea that the devil has any authority on this earth except in those who are not “blood-bought.”  The Blood of Jesus is our badge of authority over the power and authority of the devil.  You are IN Christ; in that condition and position, you have authority over all the devil’s power.  The Bible says that if we “resist the devil,” he will flee because he has no choice.

You have Legal Authority through Christ, and your authority frees you from the power of the devil!   So, as you enjoy this day, refuse to be intimidated by the devil and embrace your condition and position as a Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We serve the Living God, and in Him, we live, move, and have our being!  

My prayer and encouragement is that you will be enabled to walk in peace today and every day!