OF TWO MINDS
Monday – March 12, 2018 – Adar 25, 5778
Greetings and welcome back to our wonderful and powerful Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. We build our faith in God, in the Word of God, by hearing and the ability to hear on a spiritual level comes by the Anointed Word of God (Romans 10:17). So, faith does not become a supernatural force in our lives by mindlessly listening to Scripture, it is acquired by diligence, it is acquired on purpose. We must believe the Word of God without question and without exception. We are to learn from every Word of God. Just as our past is full of examples of the right way to do things and the wrong way to do things so is the Word of God, what we call the Holy Bible. Perhaps you have noted I have inserted the date on the Jewish (Hebrew) calendar. The following will be a useful link, this is God’s calendar. http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm
Do you ever feel like the man pictured above? Not sure what direction to go, what decision to make. Remember, all of us, all of the time are receiving two messages, one leads to evil and one to righteous. We must discern between them with the help of the Scriptures and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Before we go into our main text picking up where I left off last week I am dropping back a couple of verses to again review a critical reality.
Hebrews 10:22 (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
A few days ago, we covered the phrase; “Let us draw near” and I made the point that we are not talking about a physical or even spiritual proximity. I am not sure why the Lord is having me revisit this Truth, do doubt someone needs this, perhaps it is me. This drawing near is talking about agreement in thought, word, and deed with God.
Amos 3:3 (KJV)
3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
God is omnipresent (simultaneously present everywhere) therefore He is very close to all persons, saved and unsaved alike. For the saved, the Holy Spirit dwells within, can’t get much closer than that. The Holy Spirit is in constant contact with our mind (spiritual brain if you will). The mind is a spiritual organ of our spirit man, the spiritual equivalent of our physical brain which is an organ of our physical body. Now, back to the Book of James for refreshing.
James 1:8 (KJV)
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
To be double minded is to have two or more competing thoughts. Remember in the Garden of Eden God had commanded that they were not to eat or partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Serpent comes along with a competing thought. Unfortunately, they choose the Serpents thoughts placing them higher than God’s thus turning aside to another god. That did not end well for them and it will not end well for us. There is a great bewilderment in the body of Christ as to why the curse is present in their lives. Rather than to understand it is our very own thoughts, words, and ways that has brought the curse into our lives, men have developed perverse theologies to explain it all away. We must take responsibility for our thoughts, words, and ways, repent and do as God does. That is to think God’s thoughts, speak God’s Words, and do as God does.
As we approach any decision we must be very attentive to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and what we know of Scripture. This applies even to everyday decisions like “I think I will go to the store now”. How many decisions do all of us make everyday with zero attention to God? When we are in indecision we are unstable, some might say we are dithering (indecisive, hesitant, fickle, wavering, or of two minds). Dithering is frustrating to us, to those around us, and I suspect God. Generally, we dither in a battle between our flesh and the spirit. Our flesh, our carnal mind wants to satisfy a lust of the flesh, the eye, or a pride of life. If there is no check from the Holy Spirit and no Scriptural evidence to the contrary proceed and throw out the competing idea. Keep in mind that God, the Holy Spirit, knows what we know, and He will caution (we will sense or know we must be very cautious, even stop, seek advice) us in the absence of knowledge. Now, let’s move to another verse the Holy Spirit inspired James to record for our learning.
James 4:8 (KJV)
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Here we see the admonition again to “Draw nigh” and again this is not a proximity thing like we might sit next to a friend. It is a level of spiritual agreement that is manifest in our thoughts, words, and ways. When we show the least interest in getting closer to God He will run to us like the father to the prodigal son in that Bible account (Luke 15:20). So, how do we draw near? James writes that we are to cleanse our hands. He is not talking about washing your physical hands, he is talking about sanctifying (setting apart to God, making all in our hand [power] acceptable to God) or making all in our hand or power clean before God. This is things like where and how we spend our time, how we spend our money, how we do business, and many more. He calls us sinners! Yes, we can sin in the use of our time, our money, and our business. When we receive Jesus as our Savior and enter the Kingdom of God, we are not our own. All that was ours becomes His and all that was His becomes ours (this is part of The Blood Covenant).
We are then told to purify our hearts. This reference to our heart is referring to the middle man I have spoken of often. This is the atrium of our mind, the area where we decide the proper place for the information we are receiving. Will this new information nourish our spirit, renew our mind to the thoughts, words, and ways of God, or contribute to our carnal nature? The carnal nature is the thoughts, words, and ways of the world which came from the Serpent. When we purify our hearts, we are keeping the thoughts, words, and ways of God and casting down the thoughts, words, and ways of our enemies. We are to have a college degree in the ways of our adversary so that we can defeat him at every turn. Otherwise, we like Adam and Eve may partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil inviting stealing, killing, and destroying into our lives. As I finish for today let’s look at the text where I will pickup tomorrow the Lord willing.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (KJV)
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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