Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Holy Spirit, the forgotten Person of the Trinity
We all have a concept of the existence of a Heavenly Father, a Creator God, whom no one has seen (John 1:18, 1 John 4:12) but who has manifested Himself to us through his creation (Romans 1). We find it relatively easy to understand that the Father sent His Son in human form (John 1:14), for, though fully God, He was a man and was seen and walked among us and experienced the things we do and addressed them during His earthly ministry.
But what about this Holy Spirit? This is a concept that is more abstract. The Father created us, the Son gave Himself up for us, so that we might have communion with the Father. What did the Holy Spirit ever do for us?
Jesus taught us that He, the Holy Spirit, "...whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (John 14:26) So, it is only through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can understand spiritual things. "[T]he natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Jesus further taught us that "...if I do not go away, the Helper [Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." (John 16:7-11).
Remember, Sergeant, when the Light finally dawned on you, and you confessed your sin to God and repented and believed? How did you come to that moment? "He will convict the world of sin." That was the Holy Spirit prompting you.
So, now we come to the conviction of righteousness, "because I go to My Father and you see Me no more." Jesus Christ was the only man ever to live a sinless life. As such He was the only flesh and blood example of righteousness the world has ever known and could convict those around Him of righteousness by that example. But He doesn't walk among us in the flesh any longer. Instead, He has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, and it is the Holy Spirit who convicts of righteousness by the example of those who walk in the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control." (Galatians 5:22) Notice that the verb in this sentence is the singular "is." The fruit of the Spirit is; not the fruits of the Spirit are. This is a package deal. When we walk in the Spirit, He gives us this all inclusive fruit. Just as the fruit of the grape is stalk, skin, exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp and pips or seeds, so the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Without all of the parts, the fruit is either not a fruit at all, or it is a defective instance of the fruit.In future posts, I will look at each part of the fruit of the Spirit. In the meantime, soldier, let us resolve to know God better in all His Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Getting our marching orders
After Jesus told the crowd that prayer is about having an intimate relationship with God and not about saying a lot of words to impress the people around you, He offered an example:
Our Father in heaven,This is undoubtedly the most famous prayer in Christendom. In my youth, everyone I knew, including me, who went to church only three or four times a year with the neighbors, knew "The Lord's Prayer."
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Notice that this prayer opens with the address "Our Father." Jesus was addressing Jews here. They were not accustomed to thinking of God as their father. "Abraham is our father" (John 8:39). Paul wrote to the church at Rome, saying, "...you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15) Abba is the Aramaic for father. Aramaic was the vernacular of the society into which Jesus came to minister.
This is a new level of intimacy with God for the Jews, who were loath even to mention the name of God, for fear of offending Him. Jesus (and Paul after Him) was obviously encouraging His audience to throw away any pretense, and get real with God.
The prayer continues, "Hallowed be Your name." That is "May your name be honored, revered, sacred." Obviously, this business of getting intimate with God is not about bringing Him down to our level, but rather, as Paul said, we are adopted sons of God, and as such may speak to Him as our Father, albeit with deep respect and reverence, even as I was taught to address my earthly father. Our culture has lost that respect for authority, I fear. I am troubled when I hear preachers say that God is our "pal" or our "buddy." There is even a bumper sticker that says, "God is my co-pilot." If that is the case, you are sitting in the wrong seat.
"Your kingdom come...." In Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist, referring to Jesus, tells the people to "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus embodies the kingdom of heaven, and He was already come. I believe this is a plea for the Jews to welcome their Messiah. In other words, He was telling them to acknowledge to the Father that the Messiah was indeed come, and they had accepted Him.
"Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." By way of demonstrating our reverence for our Creator, we promise to accede to His will in all things, just as those who already dwell with Him in heaven do.
These five short lines of prayer have accomplished several things. First, they have established Who is the Father. They have established who we are, His children. They have acknowledged that, in spite of our entering into an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe, nevertheless we do so only with the deepest respect and reverence. They have established that we are willing to accept the Messiah, Whom He sent, and that we relinquish our own agendas in favor of His. Thus the prayer has so far set the stage for us to be able to take the concerns of our hearts to the Source of all blessings.
"Give us this day, our daily bread." Notice that this line does not ask for a year's supply of food, or a new car. This is a humble supplication for the Lord to supply our immediate need for sustenance. The Jews had not forgotten by this time in history that God had supplied them daily with manna from heaven to sustain them in the wilderness. So, Jesus tells them here that it is not unreasonable to ask God to provide for their daily need for sustenance.
"And forgive us our debts," that is, forgive us for failing to treat our fellow men with respect and dignity and generosity. "As we forgive our debtors." Jesus picks up this theme in verses 14 and 15, when He tells them, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
If we fast forward to Matthew chapter 7, we are reminded that we are not to judge others, if we do not want to be judged by the same measure. In the same spirit, we are to extend grace to others to the same extent that we would have grace extended to ourselves. Here, Jesus instructs us to ask forgiveness of the Father and extend forgiveness to our fellow man, with the caveat, that the Father will follow our lead in extending forgiveness.
In Matthew chapter 20 (vs 37-40), Jesus said to a lawyer, who was testing Him by asking what is the greatest commandment, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” As he was teaching his followers to pray, Jesus reminded them to acknowledge these two commandments before God.
"And do not lead us into temptation." This line is interesting, because God does not tempt us (James 1:13). I believe what Jesus was telling His followers here is to ask God to intercede and limit Satan's ability to tempt us. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth with a promise of God: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13) Jesus here instructs us to invoke this promise in prayer to the Father.
"But deliver us from the evil one." God certainly has the power to deliver us from Satan. We need only ask. James 4:2: "You have not because you ask not."
"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." Jesus tells us to end our prayers with another acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, His power, and His glory. Prayer is for our benefit. God already knows what is in our hearts, but by speaking to Him in prayer, we cement it in our minds.
Paul taught the church at Ephesus "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, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) These verses contain the formula for biblical change that Paul reiterates elsewhere.
When we pray, we are, in essence, renewing the spirit of our minds. If we put off (stop doing) the things that we did in our sin nature, renew our minds (pray for guidance and holiness), and put on (start doing) the things that are of the Spirit, we will be changed by the Spirit of God. This is a package deal. We are to repent (change or renew our minds; agree with God), confess that Jesus is Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead, (Romans 10:9-10) and we become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then we are empowered to put off the old (sin controlled) man, be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new (Spirit filled) man, created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.
If I read this all correctly, it means that we MUST be continually in prayer, because it renews our minds. As I wrote in an earlier post, the battleground between good and evil is in our minds. Constantly renewing our minds through prayer will ensure that we are living in the Spirit. Just as the Word of God is "a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105), so speaking to the Lord in prayer will "[Restore] my soul" and "[lead] me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:3)
"Amen." So be it, soldier.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Reporting to the Commander in Chief
What is the best source of information about prayer? Let's ask our Commander-in-Chief for marching orders. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus addresses prayer:
"5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
This treatise on prayer is, of course, part of the Sermon on the Mount, the most eloquent sermon on how to live to the glory of God ever given. Jesus tells us, "When you pray." He doesn't say, "If you pray," or, "You might consider praying." It is clear that we are expected to pray. How can we have a relationship with the Living God, if we don't talk to Him?
The word translated "pray" in this passage comes from the Greek " προς with, and ευχη a vow, because to pray right, a man binds himself to God, as by a vow, to live to his glory, if he will grant him his grace, signifies to pour out prayers or vows, from ευ well, and χεω, I pour out; probably alluding to the offerings or libations which were poured out before, or on the altar. A proper idea of prayer is, a pouring out of the soul unto God, as a free-will offering, solemnly and eternally dedicated to him, accompanied with the most earnest desire that it may know, love, and serve him alone." (Source)
In human relationships, we call this kind of "pouring out" intimacy; we open ourselves and are transparent and vulnerable before another human being. I believe the description of prayer in the paragraph above captures the essence of the intimacy that Christ intends for us to have with Him. He wants us to pour out our souls to Him, in the expectation that He will hear us and be moved to compassion for our desires.
Jesus goes on to tell us that the prayers of "the hypocrites" (Pharisees) are all a lot of show before men. The Jewish phylacterical prayers were long and to be delivered at the canonical hours no matter where one might be. The Pharisees "contrived to be overtaken in the streets by the canonical hour, that they might be seen by the people, and applauded for their great and conscientious piety." (Source) Jesus tells us that prayer is not about reciting liturgy (performance), but about having the most intimate intercourse with God (relationship). He tells us to go into our closet (seek solitude) and pray to the Father in secret, the only way that intimacy can be fully realized. The Father will reward this focused intimacy openly.
In addition to secrecy and intimacy, God desires for our prayers to be sincere. In other words, we art to talk to God as we would to a trusted human confidante. Flowery words and long drawn out or rehearsed prayers are not what God wants. He wants to hear from us, in the vernacular, the desires of our hearts. The fact is that God already knows what we need, but as a dear uncle of mine used to tell me, "Anything worth having is worth asking for."
I will develop this discussion further, but for now, Christian soldier, remember that your Commander-in-Chief wants you to report in to Him, frequently. Paul tells us to "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Go to the CIC's office (your prayer closet, physical or figurative) regularly throughout the day, and give Him an update on what is on your heart and mind. Let Him know how the battle is going; whether you need reinforcements; report on casualties (physical, emotional or spiritual); request supplies. Oh, yes! And don't forget to praise Him for who He is and what He does. For His is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Keeping in shape for the battle
But Jesus also told us, "take up [your] cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 9:23, emphasis mine) Why did He tell us to follow Him daily? Why didn't He tell us to check in, say, once a week, or on alternate Thursdays? Remember the story of the golden calf? (Exodus 32) Moses left the children of Israel and went to intercede for them with God, after God had delivered them from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. In fewer than forty days, the Hebrews had forgotten the God who delivered them and had Aaron make them a Gold Calf, of which they then said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:24). How soon we forget!
You see, Captain, Jesus knows that we can't be out of His sight for even an hour without our turning our attention elsewhere. Think of the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane; they couldn't even watch for an hour, while Jesus prayed. He told them, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(Matthew 26:40-41, emphasis mine) Jesus told the disciples "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5, emphasis mine) It seems Jesus has your number
So, Christian soldier, remain in Jesus. How? Paul told the church at Thessalonica to "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) I believe the exhortation here is to be constantly aware that you are in God's presence, and constant prayer keeps you aware. Read the Word of God; and not only read it but hear it (Romans 10:17); read it (1 Timothy 4:13, Revelation 1:3); meditate on it (Joshua 1:8); share (teach/preach) it (2 Timothy 2:15); memorize it (Psalm 119:11); do it (James 1:22); and obey it (John 14:15, 23-24; 1 John 5:3).
(I humbly suggest you click on the document The Word of God: A Bible Study, under Document Links in the right hand column of this blog, and take a few minutes to complete the study. )
Another part of your spiritual workout is to learn to be aware of things to avoid. The psalmist tells us in Psalm 1:
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
What does it mean to walk in the counsel of the ungodly? We have been talking about walking in the counsel of Jesus. That is to study His teachings and act upon them and to remain in constant communication with Him. The psalmist warns us NOT to study the teachings of the wicked and act upon them, nor to remain in constant communication with the ungodly. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) clearly tells us to take the good news of Jesus Christ to those who are lost (the ungodly) but the Psalm makes it equally clear that we are NOT to be influenced by them.
Similarly we are not to "stand in the path of sinners." Upon first reading this line seems to be saying we should not get in the way of sinners committing their sins but let them proceed. A study of the original Hebrew, however, makes it clear that this is an admonition not to "take our stand" with the sinners. That is, we are to take a stand for God.
Neither are we to sit in the seat of the scornful. That is to say, we are not to take any part with those who scorn the precepts of God or mock those who are true believers. Instead, we are to delight in the law of the Lord and meditate in it night and day. The result will be our spiritual prosperity, as we bring forth the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), watered by the rivers of living water (John 4:14).
Soldier, you are called to go into the battle, but be wary lest you defect to the enemy!! You must be in top spiritual condition to withstand the onslaught of the enemy. Your brothers and sisters are out there waiting to be rescued. Study the Word and meditate in it night and day, and pray without ceasing.
Now, drop and give me twenty. Whooo Ahhhhh!!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Evangelism begins at home...
God has a plan, a battle strategy, if you will. We have discussed the fact that the battlefield on which the cosmic struggle between good and evil (God and the evil one) plays out is the human mind/heart. Jesus said, "Go into all the nations and make disciples." (Matthew 28:19) That is, find those who are willing "to follow his precepts and instructions." (Source) Of course, he did not mean that the Twelve Apostles could do that alone.
He sent the 70 out to evangelize, telling them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Luke 10:2) Again we hear the Lord telling his disciples to recruit new laborers for the harvest. Why was Jesus so intent on "making disciples/recruiting laborers?" Was it because he wanted His club to be bigger than the Pharisees' club?
The answer is in the text from Isaiah 61:1-2 that Jesus quoted in Luke 4:18. To wit:
"He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed."
Who are the brokenhearted? The captives? The blind? The oppressed? Was Jesus referring to letting prisoners out of Roman jails, or perhaps, wiping out the Romans altogether? Did he really mean to seek out everyone who was sightless and give him sight?
Soldier, we have to think bigger. In Mark 8:17-19, Jesus addresses His disciples, when they are concerned because they have no food. He reminds them of the time he fed the 5,000. He asks them, "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?" (v. 18). He was telling them to think bigger than their immediate needs. He was telling them not to rely on their own resources but to rely on the Father to provide.
Just so, in the passage in Luke, Jesus was referring to bigger things than the immediate physical needs of the people he addressed. The "brokenhearted" are people just like you and me who are despairing of ever finding peace; the "captives" are those enslaved to sin; the "blind" are those who will not see that God is the answer to their hearts' desires; the "oppressed" are those who are prisoners of war, taken captive by Satan through the lies that he has used to poison their minds.
Why are we Marching as to War? To fulfill the mission of the Commander-in-Chief. We are his soldiers in the battle for the minds/hearts of those who are brokenhearted because they are captive to sin, blinded by unbelief, and oppressed by the lies of Satan. That is the harvest to which Jesus referred. As we harvest the oppressed and Christ transforms them into disciples, the size of His army grows, providing more Christian soldiers for the fight.
"But I'm not an evangelist," you say. "I don't know how to 'bring in the harvest.' Where do I start." I believe one of the most overlooked ministries in all of American Christendom is the family. In Psalm 127:3-5, God tells us:
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
Read this Psalm carefully. "Sons are a heritage (That which is inherited, or passes from heir to heir. Remember we are adopted sons of God and co-heirs with Christ. Galatians 4:7) from the Lord, children a reward from him." Children a reward from God, and yet we reject these rewards through all manner of rationalizations: I can't afford them; they are inconvenient; how will I send them to college; they are only a lump of tissue... When it comes to building God's army, what better place to get recruits than from the Commander-in-Chief Himself...as a reward?
The psalmist goes on: "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the sons born in one's youth." Could God be telling us that our children are the very weapons He will use in the cosmic struggle? How does a warrior treat his weapons? Does he throw them away? Does he leave them unattended so they rust and decay? Does he make arrangements so that he cannot receive more of them, if his commanding officer desires to provide them to him? Not on your life! How are you dealing with your children, Sergeant? What shape are your arrows in?
"Blessed (divinely or supremely favored) is the man whose quiver is full (the more the better) of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." Well, I can't think why anyone would desire to be "divinely or supremely favored." I guess that's why we reject God's heritage, His rewards.
This verse goes on to say that the man whose quiver is full of the "arrows" God has given him has children who "will not be put to shame" by their enemies. They are brought up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4) They are trained by their parents and grandparents to fear the Lord and they learn the scriptures and Biblical precepts, so that they will "not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." The gate refers to the gate of the city, which was the center of commerce, justice and government in Old Testament times.
What shape are your arrows in, Captain? Are they sharp? Do they have shafts that are true, so they will fly reliably to their marks? Do you have a quiver full of them? Remember, the battlefield is in the minds/hearts of men. The war is one between Truth and lies. As in any war, the side with the largest army has an advantage. While followers of Islam have more children and rising birth rates, the nations of the western world continue to have declining birthrates. Is God rewarding the Islamists more than Christians? Or are we thwarting God's plan for us to raise up His army beginning in our homes with children who are loved and disciplined and discipled and nurtured and sharpened and made true?
Time for some soul-searching, Christian soldier.
Monday, June 29, 2009
The cosmic battlefield
The discussion now must turn to the venue of this eternal battle between good and evil. Where does this battle rage? Is it in the newspapers, or magazines of our day? Is it in some physical battleground to which we could transport ourselves on wheels or wings; at the site of a pro-choice rally, perhaps? No. The fact is that the battlefield upon which we are engaged in a life and death struggle is not a physical place but a spiritual one. The battlefield is our minds.
In Deuteronomy 6:5, we are told, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." In Luke chapter 10:25-28, we read the following:
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'d]">"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."(emphasis added).
Notice that in the Luke passage, a new element seems to have been added to the formula. The words "with all your mind" do not appear in the Old Testament version of this passage. Why the difference? The Hebrew culture does not make a distinction between a man's "heart," that is, the essence of his being, and his "mind." The two are synonymous in middle eastern thought. Luke, however, was addressing his Gospel specifically to the Greeks. To the Greeks, the mind was the main thing. Reason was king. Consequently, for purposes of clarity, Luke included the reference to the mind. To a Greek, loving God with all one's mind was more readily understandable than was loving God with all one's heart. To a Hebrew, they were one and the same.
To a great extent our modern western patterns of thought and belief follow the Greek model. Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2, emphasis added) Whereas, a Hebrew would speak of a change of heart, the Roman culture was built upon the Greek culture that preceded it, and understood Paul's message that the battle is for the mind.
Paul also wrote to the church at Ephesus, saying, "22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24, emphasis adde) The new self that Paul refers to, of course, is that new creation he mentions in II Corinthians 5:17, "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
Notice that Paul emphasizes that the mind must be renewed, changed, altered in order for the Christian soldier to overcome the fleshly lusts that keep us from living in the Spirit. "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." (Galatians 5:17)
Behaviorist psychology tells us that, by providing either the proper carrot for good behavior or the proper stick for bad behavior, we can change that behavior. In other words, behaviorist psychology would have us think of behavior as a reflex which can be changed by changing the balance between pain and pleasure. It would seem that scripture refutes this idea, telling us instead that the key to behavioral change is renewing or changing the mind. This mind change is also known as repentance.
Jesus himself said, "17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matthew 15:17-19, emphasis added) Remember that, in the Hebrew culture, the heart represents the essence of a man's being. Jesus was thoroughly Hebrew. Had he been Greek, he might have said, "...those things that proceed out of the mouth come from the mind...." He was saying here, that following rules about behavior (what you eat) has nothing to do with your character, but your character (heart, mindset) has a decided effect on what comes out of your mouth. Change your heart (mind) and the change will be reflected in your words and deeds.
Why does Satan attack us through our thought life? He knows that if he can change our minds, if he can cause us to doubt what God tells us, if he can control our thoughts, then he can make us slaves to our fleshly lusts. That is why the battlefield is the mind. That is why, lieutenant, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (II Corinthians 10:5)
Posts
Today I read an article published by Action to America, entitled:
The new commandments, which Turner calls "Voluntary Initiatives," are in themselves rather frightening, and his hubris in daring to offer an "improved" set of commandments is irritating, even if he calls them "voluntary." Nevertheless, the comments offered by people representing themselves as Christians were the bigger disappointment. My comment on the piece is copied below:
Soldier of God, in this battle for the minds and hearts of men, we are called not to destroy those who are lost but to be "fishers of men." I have never found it effective, when stalking the wily trout, to use "bait" that is repellent to fish. It is ever so much more effective to offer a delectable morsel. When will we learn to offer delectable morsels, instead of self-righteous vitriol?