There has been much written about the Jezebel Spirit that focuses on the seductive sin of women. But a close study of scriptures show that it is the sin of spiritual impurity that the Lord is speaking of. As always, the interpretation of God’s symbolism is contained within God’s Word. We can see that the imagery is consistent with other verses in Revelation.
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. (Rev 2:20)”
The Lord is using imagery of Jezebel, who not only was sexually impure, but used her impurity to gain power over others. However, whereas some may interpret this to mean literally that the woman spoken about in Revelation 2 is a sexually immoral woman, the Lord wrote this to speak about spiritual immorality. Compare the immorality with the verses below, which speak of sexual purity. Do you think that God meant that no man should literally “touch a woman”?
“These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” (Rev 14:4-5)
If so, that would contradict His own word, as written here;
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, those whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” (1 Tim 4:1-3)
God is speaking about the spiritual purity of man, not the sexual purity, though we should not fornicate. God’s intention is that Christians would have an honest and true faith in Him, with no deceit. This means that we are not using anything to attract others to ourselves or gain power over them. Those whose faith is pure are the “first fruits” of God, following Him in devotion as written below;
“I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of His harvest . . .” (Jer 2:2-3)
When we look at God’s desire for a spiritually faithful people, the scriptures about Jezebel fall into place as depicting the opposite. God is concerned with the heart of His people remaining true to Him. This is seen in the passage showing that, after the Lord judges Jezebel, He tells us that “all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” (Rev 2:23) It is in our heart that we love the Lord, and it is in the heart that spiritual immorality takes place.
The rest of the church “Who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of satan, as they call them – I place no other burden on you.” (Rev 2: 24). Here is where the teachings of Jezebel are described for us; she was teaching the “deep things of satan.” This gave her a hold over others, for they thought her teachings gave them power over demons.
Though we have authority over demons, we cannot gain control over the demonic realm by seeking out demons and binding them or casting them out. Demons have power in this world because men and women love sin. If we want to set a man free from his demons, we must preach the gospel to him first. If the man repents of his sin, then we can cast his demons out. But the only thing that keeps the demons out of a man’s life is to have his spirit occupied by the Holy Spirit. If a man’s spirit is clean and swept, but he leaves his house empty, satan will return with seven more demons, and the last state of that man will be worse that the first (Lk 11:24-26). Our job as ministers is to restore a man in his heart to the Lord. If a region is in the stronghold of territorial spirits, then our job as ministers is to bring them to the light of repentance and freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then satan will have no invitation to remain in the territory.
The knowledge of the deep things of satan brings spiritual impurity. Satan knows we are interested in the unseen world and promises every peeping inquisitive person that he will give him the truth, but he lies. In Revelation 17:7 the angel warns John not to be astonished/wonder about the great harlot. That word astonished, or wonder, means this in the Greek: astound, insane, amaze, be astonished, be beside oneself, bewitch. False knowledge leads Christians to be “beside oneself”, or not in their right mind. Satan tries to defile Christians with his false knowledge, and it is actually he who holds them in his power, and not the other way around. Though the lessons from the Jezebel spirit appear to bring privileged knowledge, in fact, they only cause one to focus on what satan is doing. When one becomes trained by this knowledge, he loses all discernment, does not operate in love, and feels superior to the weak and those in error. Sharing this knowledge is one way satan renders God’s servants useless.
In Hab 2:14 we read that it is God’s intention that the earth be covered with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the seas. It is the knowledge of God and His ways that we should be learning. There is no special knowledge about satan that will bring God’s kingdom and power and glory upon the earth. Spiritual impurity separates us from God and His purposes. Spiritual purity causes us to walk with God.
I hope that this review of the scriptures helps to settle the question about the Jezebel spirit and whether or not it pertains to women. Getting the right interpretation of God’s symbolism is the key, and it is God’s word which holds every interpretation to God’s Word. Amen
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Revival
There have been many prophecies about a coming movement of God. In meetings everywhere Christians are praying for God’s presence to fill their churches and homes. This morning’s lesson parallels this very same desire; the return of God’s presence to His people. I will be looking at an Old Testament event, the return of the ark of the covenant, as an illustration for the return of God’s presence to His present day people.
In the Old Testament, God’s presence resided in the ark of the covenant. The first questions to answer is, how did His presence get “lost”? It was stolen by an enemy of the Israelites. At the time the ark was stolen by their enemy the Philistines, Israel was a country that was not following after God’s ways. The Lord had seen that the priests did not honor Him (1 Sam 2:30). The spiritual leaders were not in communication with the Lord and “The word of the Lord was rare, there were not many visions.” (1 Sam 3:1). Poor leadership, and people prone to going their own way resulted in a country that could not defend itself against their enemy. And so, in a terrible battle and with the loss of many lives, the ark was stolen (1 Sam 4:11).
Today, people are not our enemies, such as the Philistines were when they fought with Israel and stole the ark. Nevertheless, we do have an unseen enemy who seeks to overcome us. Jesus said that satan comes to “steal and kill and destroy . . . “ (Jn 10:10). Our enemy takes advantage of complacency and insincerity so that he can steal from us. To prevent loss or harm we are admonished to be alert and self-controlled so that we will know how to pray, and how to resist our enemy. (1 Pet 4:7 & 5:8-9).
When David became King he sought to bring the ark back to Jerusalem so that God’s presence would once again reside with His people in Israel. David’s rule as king was centered on restoration of all that was lost to Israel, and completion of her destiny. This was accomplished by conquering Israel’s enemies and obtaining all the land promised by God. David wanted all that belonged to the Israelites restored, and that included the ark of the covenant.
David’s first attempt to retrieve the ark failed. He later realized that he couldn’t accomplish this important recovery using his own methods. His discovery gives us insight into the basis for revival and the return of God’s presence to His people. We see that David’s success was founded on three new insights; restoring people to their calling, seeking the Lord for how the event should be accomplished, and requiring God’s ministers to be consecrated.
David realized that he could not ignore the calling on people’s lives by using others to do what they were called to do. He told the Levites that the prior attempt at carrying the ark into Jerusalem failed because it was they, the Levites, whom God had chosen to carry the ark (1 Chron 15:2 & 13). Though David had chosen men he thought were qualified to carry the ark, during their first attempt these men were rejected, and one slain. God’s message to David was clearly that He did not want to follow David’s way of doing things, but wanted David to follow God’s way of doing things. So today, many moves of God are hindered by those who ignore God’s chosen people and who try to carry the presence of God themselves, or to use men of their own choosing. As leaders, we must pray to determine God’s chosen people for the job of “carrying” the presence to the people. These may be intercessors, Sunday School teachers, or famous evangelists. Let us be sure that God is doing the choosing, and not we ourselves.
The second thing David told the Levites was that he failed by not inquiring of the Lord how He, the Lord, wanted the ark to be moved (1 Chron 15:13). The chapter continues by showing that David’s second venture to get the ark involved many men who celebrated the transportation of the ark. Although the Levites were to physically carry the ark, there were singers, musicians, and many others who accompanied this movement. In our present day we should see many people involved in the bringing of God’s movement back into the church. When we lack in those who celebrate, sing, play music, and other forms of worship, we fail to fully glorify God’s returning presence.
The third thing king David implemented before the successful venture to retrieve the ark was consecration of the Levites. Even though David brought the Levites into their calling of carrying the ark, he required them to consecrate themselves first (1 Chron 15:12). To be consecrated is to be set apart for a task that one is dedicated to, and requires sincerity. The sincerity of the Levite’s hearts would show a reversal of the apathy and self-serving that caused the spiritual stagnation preceding the theft of the ark. We should not presume that just because God’s presence was once amongst us He will come again. Those things that caused our enemy to overcome us personally and corporately need to be removed. We all with sincere hearts must consecrate ourselves to our own callings, daily. We each are called into the priesthood of God, and though some will carry God’s presence into our meetings, all of God’s people have a place alongside His presence.
I began this lesson with the common knowledge that we desire and are praying for God’s presence; His Manifest Presence. There are those who still remember revivals where that presence lingered, and some in our present time have also experienced this. In times past, revivalists would have a meeting where they turned the hearts of people to God through repentance. These revivalists were spiritual leaders who brought the presence of the Lord not to a tent, but to dwell in the hearts of men. Unlike the men of the Old Testament who had become apathetic, these men had a vision and a word from God. The revivalists did not expect the Lord to superimpose His presence over the ways of men, but led men to submit to God’s ways. Many of them carried God’s presence alone, and not in concert with other believers because the nature of their calling was to travel, doing the work the Lord called them to do.
God’s desire is not just to visit us with His presence, or to give a little “taste” through an evangelist or revivalist. God’s desire ultimately is to live among us (Rev 21:3). Though one day this will be fulfilled, the promise indicates that He will bring His presence among us again, in our life-time. We see the Lord restoring to His people all He intended us to have, little by little as we overcome our enemy. When we come to the point of no longer letting our enemy steal from us, we are just beginning on our journey to retrieving the presence of God. We must follow the steps outlined in this lesson to successfully restore the presence of the Lord to God’s people; 1) using the people God has chosen instead of choosing them ourselves; 2) seeking the Lord on how he wants us to do what He wants us to do; and, 3) requiring consecration of those carrying God’s presence, and all manner of people involved in the restoration process. Amen, come Lord Jesus, come.
In the Old Testament, God’s presence resided in the ark of the covenant. The first questions to answer is, how did His presence get “lost”? It was stolen by an enemy of the Israelites. At the time the ark was stolen by their enemy the Philistines, Israel was a country that was not following after God’s ways. The Lord had seen that the priests did not honor Him (1 Sam 2:30). The spiritual leaders were not in communication with the Lord and “The word of the Lord was rare, there were not many visions.” (1 Sam 3:1). Poor leadership, and people prone to going their own way resulted in a country that could not defend itself against their enemy. And so, in a terrible battle and with the loss of many lives, the ark was stolen (1 Sam 4:11).
Today, people are not our enemies, such as the Philistines were when they fought with Israel and stole the ark. Nevertheless, we do have an unseen enemy who seeks to overcome us. Jesus said that satan comes to “steal and kill and destroy . . . “ (Jn 10:10). Our enemy takes advantage of complacency and insincerity so that he can steal from us. To prevent loss or harm we are admonished to be alert and self-controlled so that we will know how to pray, and how to resist our enemy. (1 Pet 4:7 & 5:8-9).
When David became King he sought to bring the ark back to Jerusalem so that God’s presence would once again reside with His people in Israel. David’s rule as king was centered on restoration of all that was lost to Israel, and completion of her destiny. This was accomplished by conquering Israel’s enemies and obtaining all the land promised by God. David wanted all that belonged to the Israelites restored, and that included the ark of the covenant.
David’s first attempt to retrieve the ark failed. He later realized that he couldn’t accomplish this important recovery using his own methods. His discovery gives us insight into the basis for revival and the return of God’s presence to His people. We see that David’s success was founded on three new insights; restoring people to their calling, seeking the Lord for how the event should be accomplished, and requiring God’s ministers to be consecrated.
David realized that he could not ignore the calling on people’s lives by using others to do what they were called to do. He told the Levites that the prior attempt at carrying the ark into Jerusalem failed because it was they, the Levites, whom God had chosen to carry the ark (1 Chron 15:2 & 13). Though David had chosen men he thought were qualified to carry the ark, during their first attempt these men were rejected, and one slain. God’s message to David was clearly that He did not want to follow David’s way of doing things, but wanted David to follow God’s way of doing things. So today, many moves of God are hindered by those who ignore God’s chosen people and who try to carry the presence of God themselves, or to use men of their own choosing. As leaders, we must pray to determine God’s chosen people for the job of “carrying” the presence to the people. These may be intercessors, Sunday School teachers, or famous evangelists. Let us be sure that God is doing the choosing, and not we ourselves.
The second thing David told the Levites was that he failed by not inquiring of the Lord how He, the Lord, wanted the ark to be moved (1 Chron 15:13). The chapter continues by showing that David’s second venture to get the ark involved many men who celebrated the transportation of the ark. Although the Levites were to physically carry the ark, there were singers, musicians, and many others who accompanied this movement. In our present day we should see many people involved in the bringing of God’s movement back into the church. When we lack in those who celebrate, sing, play music, and other forms of worship, we fail to fully glorify God’s returning presence.
The third thing king David implemented before the successful venture to retrieve the ark was consecration of the Levites. Even though David brought the Levites into their calling of carrying the ark, he required them to consecrate themselves first (1 Chron 15:12). To be consecrated is to be set apart for a task that one is dedicated to, and requires sincerity. The sincerity of the Levite’s hearts would show a reversal of the apathy and self-serving that caused the spiritual stagnation preceding the theft of the ark. We should not presume that just because God’s presence was once amongst us He will come again. Those things that caused our enemy to overcome us personally and corporately need to be removed. We all with sincere hearts must consecrate ourselves to our own callings, daily. We each are called into the priesthood of God, and though some will carry God’s presence into our meetings, all of God’s people have a place alongside His presence.
I began this lesson with the common knowledge that we desire and are praying for God’s presence; His Manifest Presence. There are those who still remember revivals where that presence lingered, and some in our present time have also experienced this. In times past, revivalists would have a meeting where they turned the hearts of people to God through repentance. These revivalists were spiritual leaders who brought the presence of the Lord not to a tent, but to dwell in the hearts of men. Unlike the men of the Old Testament who had become apathetic, these men had a vision and a word from God. The revivalists did not expect the Lord to superimpose His presence over the ways of men, but led men to submit to God’s ways. Many of them carried God’s presence alone, and not in concert with other believers because the nature of their calling was to travel, doing the work the Lord called them to do.
God’s desire is not just to visit us with His presence, or to give a little “taste” through an evangelist or revivalist. God’s desire ultimately is to live among us (Rev 21:3). Though one day this will be fulfilled, the promise indicates that He will bring His presence among us again, in our life-time. We see the Lord restoring to His people all He intended us to have, little by little as we overcome our enemy. When we come to the point of no longer letting our enemy steal from us, we are just beginning on our journey to retrieving the presence of God. We must follow the steps outlined in this lesson to successfully restore the presence of the Lord to God’s people; 1) using the people God has chosen instead of choosing them ourselves; 2) seeking the Lord on how he wants us to do what He wants us to do; and, 3) requiring consecration of those carrying God’s presence, and all manner of people involved in the restoration process. Amen, come Lord Jesus, come.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The knowledge of the glory of the Lord
We have the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God” in us (2 Cor 4:6). We do not have to look somewhere for that knowledge, nor travel to listen to just the right teacher. Though our lives seem outwardly less than perfect, God chose to put His light in us, along with the knowledge of what His glory is like, by putting His Son Jesus’ Spirit in us.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7) Not only does the knowledge of His glory reside in us by the Holy Spirit, but so does His power. Though we look kind of “earthy”, like clay, our clay vessels hold the splendor of God’s workmanship.
The Lord glories in His works. In fact, He likes to display the works He does in men. In Isaiah chapter 61 we read about His redeeming power, setting people free, comforting those who mourn, giving beauty instead of ashes and gladness instead of mourning. He dresses us in a garment of praise and takes away our despair, planting us as oaks of righteousness for His Splendor (Is 61:3). God loves to redeem the sad, the lost, and the afflicted and give them a new, purposeful life. He redeems us and gives us a permanent place in His kingdom, for He has perfect faith in His work, though it be in our imperfect lives. We display His splendor, and that His workmanship is good, For He transforms us by the mighty working of His power to accomplish what we alone could not do; righteousness.
God loves to see the redeemed redeem. When we restore relationships and rebuild communities it glorifies Him all the more, for we are doing His work. This is how His kingdom spreads across the earth; by sharing the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. It is God’s plan that the knowledge of His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). His workmanship in us is that powerful, and has the same redemptive quality as when the Holy Spirit first redeemed our own lives. Today let us take confidence in the work of God through Christ in us, for He has us on display so that men might be redeemed. Amen.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7) Not only does the knowledge of His glory reside in us by the Holy Spirit, but so does His power. Though we look kind of “earthy”, like clay, our clay vessels hold the splendor of God’s workmanship.
The Lord glories in His works. In fact, He likes to display the works He does in men. In Isaiah chapter 61 we read about His redeeming power, setting people free, comforting those who mourn, giving beauty instead of ashes and gladness instead of mourning. He dresses us in a garment of praise and takes away our despair, planting us as oaks of righteousness for His Splendor (Is 61:3). God loves to redeem the sad, the lost, and the afflicted and give them a new, purposeful life. He redeems us and gives us a permanent place in His kingdom, for He has perfect faith in His work, though it be in our imperfect lives. We display His splendor, and that His workmanship is good, For He transforms us by the mighty working of His power to accomplish what we alone could not do; righteousness.
God loves to see the redeemed redeem. When we restore relationships and rebuild communities it glorifies Him all the more, for we are doing His work. This is how His kingdom spreads across the earth; by sharing the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. It is God’s plan that the knowledge of His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). His workmanship in us is that powerful, and has the same redemptive quality as when the Holy Spirit first redeemed our own lives. Today let us take confidence in the work of God through Christ in us, for He has us on display so that men might be redeemed. Amen.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
our life is hidden in Christ
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden in Christ in God.” (Col 3:2-3)
The life we live on this earth is to come from a hidden place in Christ. The natural fruit we bear, if we have our affections set on Christ and His kingdom, is a life that proceeds from Christ and His nature. Though our life is hidden, like a seed in the soil is unseen, it will one day sprout to the surface in life, and give life to others.
One thing that interferes with this process is trying to find our life in others, instead of trusting that the hidden seed will indeed poke its head into the visible world one day. If we doubt that we are truly following the One who resides within us, our affections will be divided amongst other things, and other people.
A few years ago the Lord gave me a dream where pastors and other members of ministry were sitting before a famous teacher. The teacher had a huge following, yet made these ministers feel as if they would be rejected should they not join in with his organization. There also were many youth coming under the influence of this teacher. Because of the fear of not being included, and of eventually being rejected, all these people joined up with the famous teacher, for he made them feel secure. The teacher had become a father figure to them.
Eventually, the source of our security will determine where we set our affections. If money makes us feel secure, that is what we will follow and covet. If the praises of men make us feel validated, then we will follow what they want. All because of insecurity, good men and women are led away from the affection they began with in Christ, to idols.
One of the things that makes men feel insecure is poor relationships with their fathers. As small as this may seem, it can prevent a ministry from going on to its destiny in Christ. Though not all men and women are able to heal their broken relationships with their fathers, there is a turning of the hearts towards fathers that marks the end times. “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Mal 4:6). If we lack validation from our earthly fathers, the temptation is to find it from our fellowships with other men, and to seek earthly father figures. Once we find affection in our fellowships and other religious father-type figures, our enemy will lead us away from our identity in Christ, where our true calling is hidden.
Our lives are uniquely created, and this is a pitfall for those of us who want to find our acceptance in being conformable to the image of a leader. If any man causes us to feel rejected for not following his teachings, we should remember that we live a life that is hidden in Christ, where men cannot see. Our worth and validation come from following Him who is the source of our life, and not in pleasing a standard set by men. Today, let us find our security in the Life that Christ is developing in the good soil of our heart and not be discontent with what we cannot see. He will give us a glimpse in due season. Amen.
The life we live on this earth is to come from a hidden place in Christ. The natural fruit we bear, if we have our affections set on Christ and His kingdom, is a life that proceeds from Christ and His nature. Though our life is hidden, like a seed in the soil is unseen, it will one day sprout to the surface in life, and give life to others.
One thing that interferes with this process is trying to find our life in others, instead of trusting that the hidden seed will indeed poke its head into the visible world one day. If we doubt that we are truly following the One who resides within us, our affections will be divided amongst other things, and other people.
A few years ago the Lord gave me a dream where pastors and other members of ministry were sitting before a famous teacher. The teacher had a huge following, yet made these ministers feel as if they would be rejected should they not join in with his organization. There also were many youth coming under the influence of this teacher. Because of the fear of not being included, and of eventually being rejected, all these people joined up with the famous teacher, for he made them feel secure. The teacher had become a father figure to them.
Eventually, the source of our security will determine where we set our affections. If money makes us feel secure, that is what we will follow and covet. If the praises of men make us feel validated, then we will follow what they want. All because of insecurity, good men and women are led away from the affection they began with in Christ, to idols.
One of the things that makes men feel insecure is poor relationships with their fathers. As small as this may seem, it can prevent a ministry from going on to its destiny in Christ. Though not all men and women are able to heal their broken relationships with their fathers, there is a turning of the hearts towards fathers that marks the end times. “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Mal 4:6). If we lack validation from our earthly fathers, the temptation is to find it from our fellowships with other men, and to seek earthly father figures. Once we find affection in our fellowships and other religious father-type figures, our enemy will lead us away from our identity in Christ, where our true calling is hidden.
Our lives are uniquely created, and this is a pitfall for those of us who want to find our acceptance in being conformable to the image of a leader. If any man causes us to feel rejected for not following his teachings, we should remember that we live a life that is hidden in Christ, where men cannot see. Our worth and validation come from following Him who is the source of our life, and not in pleasing a standard set by men. Today, let us find our security in the Life that Christ is developing in the good soil of our heart and not be discontent with what we cannot see. He will give us a glimpse in due season. Amen.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
healing the heart and the mind
God has a marvelous plan for our lives. We read about His transforming power in many places in the Bible. In Isaiah 61 the entire chapter is about the wonderful changes we have through Jesus. To begin with, He heals our hearts. Then He sets our thinking free, taking us out of darkness and unbinding our lives. His power so transforms us that we become righteous priests & ministers. This is evidenced in our lives by our works of restoration and rebuilding of relationships and ministries. The healing of the Lord becomes complete when we yield our hearts over to Him. God is an expert of transforming our hearts and minds.
Once the work of the Lord has begun in our hearts, our thinking should change. Inner healing should bring on a new attitude in our minds. If we remain in our old way of thinking, we will not see change in our lives. Bitterness and mental illness cause people to make wrong choices, often out of self-protection and the desire to not be injured once again. This shows that the heart is not yet healed. Relationships are torn down, and the person becomes isolated because he cannot trust others. And this person, though he be a Christian, cannot minister encouragement nor care for another person. He is bearing the fruit of an unhealed heart.
Jesus told us that we would know the kind of person by the fruit they bear. We don’t have to guess about the condition of our own hearts if we look at our thoughts, and our actions. If our heart is being healed, our thinking will change. Choosing the right way to think is called “wisdom.” Godly wisdom should be evident in our minds as thoughts which are pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, sincere, and bearing good fruit, (Jms 3:17). And people should see an appropriateness and reasonableness in our relationships (Phil 4:5).
As with anything new, our new way of thinking needs a maintenance schedule. Just as a man who wants to keep his heart physically healthy will eat right and exercise, so in a similar manner we need to maintain a spiritually healthy heart by the discipline of what we think. If we think junk, it’s as if we are eating junk food. If we practice thinking junky thoughts, we are not exercising the good way of thinking that will maintain a healthy heart spiritually. The healthy spiritual heart in a man will think thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. And an important part of maintaining the health of his heart is to be thankful. Then, when all this is in place, the Lord protects this man’s heart and mind with His peace (Phil 4:6-8). That’s a good maintenance policy.
It is not possible to maintain a healthy heart and carry the old way of thinking around with us. If a man wants a healthy heart but continues to eat junk and does not exercise, he deceives himself. One of the biggest deceptions in Man is to want a good relationship with God, and yet have foul relationships with men. If we look at the fruits of wisdom, they all have to do with our relationships with men. God’s protection over our mind and hearts is His peace. In a similar way, protecting our attitudes towards others comes through our desire to live peaceably with them. If we do not desire peace, we miss the grace of God and eventually become defiled again, and can hurt our brethren as well (Heb 12:14-15).
To heal the heart of isolation, one should choose to be considerate of others, and care about the outcome of their day. To be healed of destroyed relationships, one should extend mercy and forgiveness, adding works and words of kindness. To eliminate bitter thoughts, one should think about the nobleness God created Man to be, hoping and praying towards others’ restoration to that Godly image. To purge our thoughts of gossip we should set a standard of purity of truth, and maintain it by refusing speculation or any pretense that exalts itself against that standard (2 Cor 10:3-5). To maintain the love of peace within our selves we should keep love of others alive in our hearts, and remember that God loves us all. And to keep our relationships with others genuine we should determine to follow through on our good thoughts with actions done in sincerity. All this change will be made possible if we allow ourselves to be submissive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He heals our hearts and transforms our mind.
Once the work of the Lord has begun in our hearts, our thinking should change. Inner healing should bring on a new attitude in our minds. If we remain in our old way of thinking, we will not see change in our lives. Bitterness and mental illness cause people to make wrong choices, often out of self-protection and the desire to not be injured once again. This shows that the heart is not yet healed. Relationships are torn down, and the person becomes isolated because he cannot trust others. And this person, though he be a Christian, cannot minister encouragement nor care for another person. He is bearing the fruit of an unhealed heart.
Jesus told us that we would know the kind of person by the fruit they bear. We don’t have to guess about the condition of our own hearts if we look at our thoughts, and our actions. If our heart is being healed, our thinking will change. Choosing the right way to think is called “wisdom.” Godly wisdom should be evident in our minds as thoughts which are pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, sincere, and bearing good fruit, (Jms 3:17). And people should see an appropriateness and reasonableness in our relationships (Phil 4:5).
As with anything new, our new way of thinking needs a maintenance schedule. Just as a man who wants to keep his heart physically healthy will eat right and exercise, so in a similar manner we need to maintain a spiritually healthy heart by the discipline of what we think. If we think junk, it’s as if we are eating junk food. If we practice thinking junky thoughts, we are not exercising the good way of thinking that will maintain a healthy heart spiritually. The healthy spiritual heart in a man will think thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. And an important part of maintaining the health of his heart is to be thankful. Then, when all this is in place, the Lord protects this man’s heart and mind with His peace (Phil 4:6-8). That’s a good maintenance policy.
It is not possible to maintain a healthy heart and carry the old way of thinking around with us. If a man wants a healthy heart but continues to eat junk and does not exercise, he deceives himself. One of the biggest deceptions in Man is to want a good relationship with God, and yet have foul relationships with men. If we look at the fruits of wisdom, they all have to do with our relationships with men. God’s protection over our mind and hearts is His peace. In a similar way, protecting our attitudes towards others comes through our desire to live peaceably with them. If we do not desire peace, we miss the grace of God and eventually become defiled again, and can hurt our brethren as well (Heb 12:14-15).
To heal the heart of isolation, one should choose to be considerate of others, and care about the outcome of their day. To be healed of destroyed relationships, one should extend mercy and forgiveness, adding works and words of kindness. To eliminate bitter thoughts, one should think about the nobleness God created Man to be, hoping and praying towards others’ restoration to that Godly image. To purge our thoughts of gossip we should set a standard of purity of truth, and maintain it by refusing speculation or any pretense that exalts itself against that standard (2 Cor 10:3-5). To maintain the love of peace within our selves we should keep love of others alive in our hearts, and remember that God loves us all. And to keep our relationships with others genuine we should determine to follow through on our good thoughts with actions done in sincerity. All this change will be made possible if we allow ourselves to be submissive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He heals our hearts and transforms our mind.
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