All Double Minded

All Double Minded!! 2011/11 05/22/11

Before we start into the body of this lesson, I believe that I am supposed to have you turn to Matthew 4:17, and it is within just moments that Jesus had come from the wilderness of temptations, and it goes this way; Jesus has just been told that John the Baptist had been put in prison, and vs 15 and 16 He quotes from Isa. 9 and 42, and then we go to verse 17;

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’.

So many times, in evangelist meetings and among many Christians, repent means the expected response at an altar call, where people come up front and seek to get right with God, and that is an OK expression of repentance., but it truly means to change your mind. “Re” means to go back and “Pent” means to go back to God’s perspective on reality. Now in that perspective there is a renewal, a reformation that affects our intellect, our emotions, and every part of our lives, and without repentance we stay locked into carnal ways of thinking, and this does not necessarily mean some sin. The fruit however is that they most often live without the demonstrated power of the gospel, and many may lose their sense of purpose. Jesus was urging us to do an about-face in our approach to reality because His Kingdom was at hand and within all our reach, now on to the lesson for today. [B. J. paraphrase]

In his letter to the ‘scattered twelve tribes’, James, speaking to those who may be asking for wisdom, is in no way diluting the need for faith, but he is insisting on a true, beyond salvation faith, a faith that will surely produce good fruit with lasting results. Let me read to you from James 1:6-8;

“ Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitating, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.

For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,

[For being as he is] a man of two minds [double minded] (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].”

1 I have been hearing the words ‘renewed mind’ for the past several months, and I want to read you just a portion of some of the revelation that our brother Dutch Sheets had recently on the same subject;

Part of our soulish man is referred to as the subconscious mind, which includes the memory, but does much more than just store information. By far, the majority of our mind’s activity takes place there. You may ask ‘what’s the difference between the conscious and the subconscious mind?’ The conscious mind is what processes cognitive activity—in other words, we’re aware of what it’s working on. The subconscious mind, however, is what acts involuntarily of the conscious. Even while we are asleep it’s always churning away.

Most of the time, we are being controlled, or at the very least influenced, by this aspect of the soul. It becomes a storehouse for stored images and information [both bad and good]. When these images, stored in our memory banks are strong enough and negative in nature (destructive, painful, and so forth), a massive structure of negative belief is erected. The bible labels this as a stronghold. Paul uses this word in 2 Cor 10:4, and that is where we are headed today, but before we go there, turn to Romans 12:2, and then to Eph. 4:17-24;

“And do not be conformed to this world (do not allow yourself to be molded into its image and patterns of life), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Note: Even superficial conformity to the present world system or any accommodation to its ways, if not checked and cast down, will finally defeat the fullness of your Christian walk. The word prove here means to test by practice in our everyday life, and see that God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight and will bring forth a testimony that will prosper you. The test begins every day when you awaken.

Now to Ephesians 4:17-24

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

2 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But you have not so learned Christ, [the Anointing]

If you have indeed heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: [John 1:17-grace and truth through Jesus] that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, [the spirit of the mind is the subconscious mind, the one where the strongholds are developed and control], and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Now, lets go on to 2 Cor 10:3-5, and I will add some light commentary as we go;

As a beginning note, in verse 2, Paul is speaking of the boldness that he will exhibit against those who are casting accusations that he is walking according to the flesh, and the following is his answer;

“For though we walk in the flesh (not according to), we do not war according to the flesh.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God to the pulling down strongholds, [we will look at Eph 6 in a moment, but lets see where we are headed first.] casting down arguments and every high and lofty thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…”

Note: Here Paul is bringing up strongholds with the description, and we will only make a short commentary on this. Strongholds are those things that oppose God’s will and God’s word. They create warfare in the mind. They are the residence of the high and lofty things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God,

3 and the subconscious is the residence of the strongholds, and the things in our thought life that accept the lifestyles and ideas that oppose God’s will and patterns for the Life of His children. The negative thoughts generated there, if given life by our tongue, will take us down avenues of destruction if we follow them and do not capture them in obedience to the Word of God in Christ [the Anointing]

If we will remember many times in this class, I have mentioned and read Matthew 6:31; “Take no thought by saying….” Think before you speak, for even a spoken negative opinion has the potential to birth a stronghold. Come to know for sure that as you take the thought captive to the obedience of Christ, before you utter it, it will come out in total agreement with the Word of God. Your response to any situation, circumstance, or event should be in total agreement with God’s will found in His Word. But chances are good that if it proceeds from the subconscious it will oppose God’s plan. Let me share something with you.

Those of us who were born before or during the depression, the late 20’s into the 30’s and early 40’s (pre-ww2) will probably have a stronghold of some level of the spirit of poverty. There is something here, that we need to truly believe completely past the intellectual level and even though it is from Ephesians 1, and scriptures that you all can probably quote from memory, but the revelation has to go deeper for the days to come, and here it is;

You were chosen to be adopted and that is truth, but sometimes we do not understand just exactly what it means to be adopted in this manner. The greek word is huiothesia and means the placing of a son or a daughter, but it does not here refer to a child being placed into a family, but rather a child who is already a member of the family being established into the authority of a fully matured child (son or daughter). It is about jurisdiction and rights, not just entering a family. We at rebirth, were already in that family that we were chosen for before the beginning began.

If you, from this, can begin to truly understand who you truly are, and what you truly have, and then Whose you truly are, and that you are the heir of all that They have, then your responses to any situation or event will begin to take on a new dimension. It is not that our thoughts are different, but that our way of thinking is transformed to think from a different position, that being from heaven to earth, from the position where we are seated with Him.

4 One of the strongholds that most have some portion of, is low self esteem, and I am not speaking of ego, but rather a diminished idea of our personal worth. That could have been caused of some word we heard, that we took personally, or something that we tried to enter, a profession or ministry, but seemingly could never succeed at, or many other schemes that the enemy has, to stop us from achieving God’s ordained destiny for us. The enemy is an accuser and a master at negative suggestion and deceit, and you know that he is a robber and a thief. He is also the one who goes around as a roaring lion, but lets look at several verses from Colossians, and we will begin at Col 1:12-13, and then we will go to other verses such as as 2:10, 14, and 15;

“Giving thanks to the Father Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

And now to 2:10, 14 and 15;

“And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].

Note: You are also filled with the Kingdom and Resurrection Power.

Note: Now inhale what you have just heard about your condition and your position in Christ, that came about when your were born from above, and then see the guarantee in what you are about to hear and then have a hallelujah fit if you care to, and then begin to think about yourself the same way God thinks about you, for you are child of the God of all creation, and Jesus is Lord in your life.

Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.

5 [God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].

Let us not leave this arena so soon, but look at several more areas that fit here, because we need to understand the warfare that we are in, but it is one that has already been fought and we are on the side that won, but turn to 1 Peter 5:6-10;

“ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Note: Humility here is to be devoid of any arrogance, or self- exaltation, but understanding that we are still children of the Most High God.

Casting all your care [every anxiety, and worries] upon Him, for He cares for you.

But be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

But may the God of all grace, Who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This is a place where you begin to pull down the strongholds, and it starts with your response to the sufferings (the tests and trials that assail you) and those should not be a testimony to the curse of the trial, but rather with the God’s word that covers the attack. God’s word contains the response to any type of attack that the enemy can throw at you. You are a child of the King, and an heir to all the blessings of the Most High God, speak them as the words of God with the authority of your position, and the devil will flee (James 4:7).

I am going to close here, and continue this next week, but begin to seek out of the word, scripture that speaks God’s word to the problems that attack you. Attacks against your health, wealth, your personal esteem, your liberty and your worth, and you will be surprised at the wealth therein. In closing, turn to 1 John 4:4-6;

6 “ You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He Who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world.

They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Get attuned to the Word of God, and be set to win every battle that comes your way, but understand, the battle has already been won, you are just a bystander, standing in the glory of God’s word as you speak it. Remember, this is all a portion of the renewing of the mind, because the renewing comes by the Word of God.

Class! Be Most Abundantly Blessed!!