Two weeks ago as I was video taping classes for our online IBTC Bible School, and I got over into some things that the Lord started showing me in the Scriptures that completely jazzed my world. In fact, I sat down that evening and wrote two chapters of another book I am authoring based on the revelation that God had revealed to me. In this weeks devotional I would like to share some of those things that I hope sincerely will empower your walk in Christ Jesus. To start let's go over to Matthew 25 and progress from there into some revelatory thoughts that I believe God wants His church to know.

 

Matthew 22:37 (KJV)
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

I want us to look at this particular passage above as it sets up everything else that we will dive into throughout this devotional. It is very clear that Jesus desires our whole heart, soul and mind. As a matter of fact, He purchased it with His own blood, all of who we represent in body, soul and mind. With each of these human faculties we are to allow our spiritual salvation in Christ to influence every part. Unfortunately, there are way too many believers who do not understand this. Many will tell you they do, however, once life happens and circumstances come they begin to recant their positive confessions that they were previously standing on; and start contradicting the Word of God. When we are born again there is a work that only God can do and that work is the creation of a new spirit within the man who believes on Christ the Son of God. Man cannot add to that perfect state or creation of God. However, the heart, soul and mind must be influenced by the will of every man, if he is to grow and mature in the things of God. In other words, you're spirit man is seated together in heavenly places right now in a perfect state of being. Nothing more to do, for he is perfectly accepted and created perfectly.

 

However, the heart, soul and mind have not so wonderfully progressed, as they require our participation to submit and be renewed to the Word of God. Here is exactly where many believers lose their sound footing and find themselves slipping out of control. Here is where the notable differences of baby Christians and mature ones can be seen. Let me give a few examples if I may of why there are believers that simply don't grow up. For instance, when a believer comes into a church service and hears the Word of Truth being spoken out loud and expressively under the influence of the anointing it creates in them an exhilarating response outwardly. This is because their spirit man was birthed from the very Word they are hearing. This is why faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It empowers your spirit man to activate itself for action in the things of God. But when these immature believers that we are pointing out within this lesson leave the service and life begins to unfold with its many hardships, they fall prey to their old mindset that has not been renewed in the Word of God. Therefore, the spirit man of that person does not really initiate full control of their thought life, or what their actions will become due to the wrong leadership in their personal life.

 

They have very little knowledge of the Word within their mind so they have little to draw from. These folks simply do not fully invest in their spirit man, but rather in all sorts of other things that do not empower their spirit to lead victoriously. I actually know many people who can tell you with more details about the lives of the participants of the TV reality show, American Idol then they can express to you about the promises of God. Whenever we fill our minds with more entertainment than the Word of God, then we will not have the confidence nor revelation to walk in these truths that make a man spiritually alert and filled with power. It is said over in the book of James that if a man is double minded, let not that man think he will receive anything from God. This does not mean that God is deliberately keeping things from that person. It simply means that if that person starts off speaking in agreement with God's Word, but then under pressure concedes to something of lesser value or even negative, then he will not get what he desires of the Word. Why? Because the Bible tells us that, "How can two walk together accept they be in agreement." If we say we believe God's Word and turn right around and speak against it; we are contradicting ourselves and therefore, we are unsure of what really belongs to us. The enemy does not have to surrender one thing to a person who does not know who they are in Christ, and what belongs to them. Even though Christ accomplished everything necessary to live victorious when He died on Calvary. Therefore, it is imperative that we renew our minds with the Word of God, if we expect to live from those truths that are written in Scripture, and enjoy the many benefits to those who believe on them with confidence. The next thing that I want us to look at is found in Hebrews.

 

Hebrews 5:13-14 (KJV)
13 For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

It's obvious that what we have spoken thus far has everything to do with what you know, or do not know pertaining to God's principles. And this my friends, will make or brake you depending upon your manner of choices for living life from. Now, the passage we just read here in Hebrews, spells out this subject we are on with much greater clarity. A person who remains immature in the things of God cannot receive anything but the sincere milk of the Word because they would choke to death on the stronger and meatier things. Yet, the person who is skillful and effectual in the Word of God, they will influence their whole being with the holy Scriptures. As a matter of fact, they will by reason of using the Word of God in their daily activities, will manifest its promises in all areas of their life. In addition, these mature believers in Christ will exercise their senses in such a way spiritually that they are able to discern or awaken those senses to not be limited to just the earthly realm. Let me give you a few examples from the Scriptures. Remember the prophet Elisha who sent out his servant to go and bring back a report on what the condition of the enemy was. What did he return and say? Oh my lord, what shall we do they are encamped around the entire city, will we perish? What did Elisha say? Lord! Open the eyes of him that he may see that there are more with us then against us. What happened next was the servants eyes were opened supernaturally and as he looked all around the hillside the hosts of God's armies were everywhere as far as could be seen. His visual senses had been opened to see in the realm of the spirit.

 

Another example, but from a negative point of view, is found in the story of David returning with the Ark of the Covenant. When everyone else in the city was celebrating the return of the Ark with dancing and cheerings; high above in the palace peering from a window, David's wife was observing the whole scene with anger in her heart. She was more in tune with her jealousy, that she interpreted the wrong thing about her husband as he danced innocently with all the people and hand-maidens as they celebrated the return of the Ark of the Covenant. What she observed through her eyes was a very different perspective than what was actually happening. As you may recall the Scriptures teach that because she assumed what she did that she became barren from that day on. In other words, David's wife looked with contempt in her heart towards David who was innocent of doing anything wrong, and with carnal eyes she failed to see the excitement that everyone was experiencing because of the return of God's blessing to His people. She missed the truth of why everyone was celebrating because she was out of touch with spiritual things and more in tune with the natural. I brought this example out, simply to show how if we neglect to renew our minds to the Word of God we can very easily misinterpret what is actually happening around us. Because of this, we can remain immature and suffer the consequences even though God does not genuinely want that for us. Whatever a man sows that shall he reap; therefore, we have a part in what happens to us based on our decisions or perceptions. And in some cases this can be catastrophic to our future if we choose to ignore the Word of God and its influences on our life, just as we saw in the case of David's wife.

 

Before we close this devotional today I wish to point out a few more ideas. All through the Bible we find people who had their five senses that are generally, and more commonly used to function in this world; transformed to see, hear, taste, smell and touch in the spirit realm. How can one possibly believe for a supernatural promise found within the Word of God unless they exercise their senses to operate in the realm of the spirit. In other words, you can't with any confidence believe cancer to leave someone who is terminally ill when your natural mind has collected only visuals of the certainty of death; because we put more credibility in what a doctor said over the Word of God. If we fail to renew our minds in the Word of God then we are void of having the power of what God can do in us and through us. It is imperative that we begin exercising our five senses in the Word of God so as to see, hear, smell, taste and touch as God does. In fact, if this was not possible then God would have never told us in His Word to put on the same mind that Christ had who thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He would have never said lay your hands on the sick folks and they shall recover if our sense of touch could not be transformed to heal supernaturally. He also said our hearing can hear things from the realm of the spirit if we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. Obviously, we can hear are He wouldn't have said such things in His Word. Friends, I wished I had more time here to dig deeper within this topic as I believe it holds the keys to great success in the things of God. We are told that we are made in His likeness and in His very image. I can't imagine God ever operating the way that most of us do here in this world; nevertheless, this must mean I need to change to become more like Him if I expect to walk victoriously as He does. Consider this also, we have received a divine nature within us which must mean that we can do what Jesus did when He walked the earth. As a matter of fact, we are told by Jesus Himself that we would do the same works as He did, and even greater works! This can only happen as we exercise our senses in the Word of God; so as to be transformed to believe the things that are written within the pages of the Bible without any doubt whatsoever. It is a book of faith, and faith is the only thing that will unlock its truths! I challenge you to start right now exercising your senses in God's Word and begin realizing your true nature in God!