"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4, NASB)
Sin is a heart matter, not a mind matter. It goes from the heart to the mind where humanity has managed to institutionalize it. What humanity needed was a "heart transplant." This is why the Bible says, "My son, give me your heart." This is why our Lord Jesus says to mankind, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed[s] evil...." This is why the Bible says, "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart....All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." A Kingdom life style change comes from a Sword, not a seminar.
To combat sin, not the sin which requires the New Birth for forgiveness and acceptance, "in the Beloved," but the, "sin which so easily besets us," viz., life-style sin, we need weapons which deal with the heart, which in turn will deal with the mind, which in turn will deal with our life style. It is so very important to our daily walk in Jesus Christ to realize that, "the weapons we fight with are not," are not "mental" debates. God is after the heart of man. When the heart is healed, the mind will be healed, the life style will be healed.
"The Word of God," alone is, "divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses." The Words of Jesus alone are the weapons, "powerful for...destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and [can bring] every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...." These, "speculations and every...thing...against the knowledge of God," are not in the mind of man, rather in the heart of man. And it is exactly here, my friend, "bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," where Christendom will either change a culture or be changed by a culture. Again, I use the word, "Christendom," because the Church cannot be destroyed. "The gates of Hell," cannot resist the Church, but they can resist Christendom. I want to live and operate in this world as the Church, not as Christendom. The Church is commanded to go into all the world and, "make disciples." 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 should be on the title page of every "discipleship manual."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I so need Your Words written in my heart. Amen.
Sin is a heart matter, not a mind matter. It goes from the heart to the mind where humanity has managed to institutionalize it. What humanity needed was a "heart transplant." This is why the Bible says, "My son, give me your heart." This is why our Lord Jesus says to mankind, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed[s] evil...." This is why the Bible says, "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart....All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." A Kingdom life style change comes from a Sword, not a seminar.
To combat sin, not the sin which requires the New Birth for forgiveness and acceptance, "in the Beloved," but the, "sin which so easily besets us," viz., life-style sin, we need weapons which deal with the heart, which in turn will deal with the mind, which in turn will deal with our life style. It is so very important to our daily walk in Jesus Christ to realize that, "the weapons we fight with are not," are not "mental" debates. God is after the heart of man. When the heart is healed, the mind will be healed, the life style will be healed.
"The Word of God," alone is, "divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses." The Words of Jesus alone are the weapons, "powerful for...destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and [can bring] every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...." These, "speculations and every...thing...against the knowledge of God," are not in the mind of man, rather in the heart of man. And it is exactly here, my friend, "bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," where Christendom will either change a culture or be changed by a culture. Again, I use the word, "Christendom," because the Church cannot be destroyed. "The gates of Hell," cannot resist the Church, but they can resist Christendom. I want to live and operate in this world as the Church, not as Christendom. The Church is commanded to go into all the world and, "make disciples." 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 should be on the title page of every "discipleship manual."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I so need Your Words written in my heart. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
