Clear Vision ~ Renewing Your Mind I

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ~ Romans 12:2

The first step to Equipping the Saints for the Work of the Ministry - ie. becoming prepared for (Yahweh) God to use you - to finding your place-function in the Body of Christ, is that of Casting Down Vain Imaginations and Renewing Your Mind. It matters not if you are seeking your service (ministry) within the local body of believers with whom you have been called to assemble or you are preparing to be used to teach (minister to) your own children L.E.D. by God or if you (or your children) are seeking your/their "place in this world". To fragment - dis-relate these areas of your life - is just one example of the pagan-Greek-humanistic thinking we are seeking to dispel. It is Abba's (Daddy-Father God's) desire to see you Tammin-bring you into wholeness. Y'shua (Jesus) died for this for you. The Elohim of Shalom (God of Peace) wants to set you apart (santify you) wholly - that your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved without fault.

Prior to salvation you were unable to think Yahweh's thoughts. Many of the beliefs you had and decisions you made were contrary to Divine Law and Principles. You did not - could not walk in TRUTH. Perhaps you were trying to be good or your parents taught you right from wrong or you lived in a community - physical or religious - with high moral standards, still your mind was at emnity with Yahweh's because your spirit was dead - not connected with Him. And, if you were educated in American government schools after 1935, you were further being highly trained to think in a way opposed to God - a humanistic (Greek-pagan) way of thinking. Doubtful you took a class on humanism 101 but it was the underlying primary course of your education. Shortly after its institution in our educational system, it began to take its place in our work places and society in general. In fact, even within our churches.

I am not saying the whole church is corrupt. I am saying unregenerate man is corrupt and any institution based on man's ways is too. One thing this Greek-humanistic way of thinking (the way we were taught to think, with all of life fragmented by compartmentalizing each aspect into its own little box,) teaches is religious life as separate from public life. Thus, much of the church bought into this lie and soon fell asleep, ceasing to be an effective voice of God to our nation.

Now, Americans just believe that's the way things are. And as you brought your life to God you also brought your boxes. You had your religion box, separate from your work box, separate from your health box, separate from you home life box, separate from your social life box. And since your salvation you have been trying to stuff everything you learn of God into your religious box, and trying to make sure it doesn't overflow into the other boxes, especially your social box where it might offend someone. But no, perhaps you're a radical and Yahweh has done a great work in your life so that true religion - your Love for Elohim (God) - overflows into all your life. Thus you increase your religious box to contain all others. You read your Bible, you pray, you seek Yahweh, and you put all these ideas into your religion box that encompasses all of your other life boxes. You have done well. You have tried your best. But it isn't enough. The best of human efforts cannot meet the standard of Yahweh. "There is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death."

You may have thrown many things out of the religious box as the Word of God came alive to you and you realized that previous thoughts didn't line up with the new thoughts He was giving you. But there were other things from the Word that just didn't fit what you knew, and you just weren't sure what to do with them. And there are still corners of your box that the light of the Word has yet to reach.

May I propose to you a better way! GET RID OF THE BOXES!!! Before the Greek-humanistic way of thinking, (which was birthed out of the pagan way of thinking that probably was solidified in Nimrod, if not before,) there was the Hebrew way of thinking, following after the way Yahweh thinks, revealed in His Word. This way of thinking has no boxes. It sees all of life inter-related. It sees Natural Laws for all of life, not segregated to their own boxes or to be replaced by other laws from other boxes, but to be only superceded by Higher Laws over all of Life.

But the question remains; if the natural mind and our Post-Christian culture have built a pagan (Greek-humanistic) way of thinking in us - how do we change it in for Yah's way? This is the point you had to get to before I could tell you. You had to realize that not only are your thoughts wrong (but give thanks to God that He is making progress in you in that area), but also your way of thinking is wrong.

God's Word as always has the answer. "Therefore brethern, present your body as a living sacrifice" - put to death all the ways of the Flesh - all pagan-Greek-humanistic ways. And now, - here's the clencher - "be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Don't try to conform God's thoughts to fit into the world's box. Don't try to Re-form your religious box to hold God's thoughts. But totally change your way of thinking by putting to death your old way of thinking allowing God to give you a new mind. So that "you can prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." If you don't know the Will of God, sacrifice your Will and Ways and get your Mind changed.

God's Word tells us to have the mind of Messiah (Christ). Do you know that you can't have the "mind of Christ " as long as you have your own mind? That would be doublemindedness and God's Word tells us that a doubleminded man will get nothing from Him. Why are you so reluctant to give up your mind? Do you really think yours is better than Jesus'? God doesn't ask you to be mind-LESS - there's that humanistic thinking again. He tells you to put on Jesus' mind, rather than your own. He says if you lack wisdom, ask and He'll give it. But - a doubleminded man will recieve nothing. You can't have two minds. Your mind can't contain the Wisdom of Yahweh. So to get His Wisdom, His Will, His answers, you must have His Mind. Y'shua's mind was in complete submission to Abba. Y'shua only did and said what He saw Abba do and say. Are not we called to follow His example?

And what are you to do when old thought patterns try to return? "Cast down all vain imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Our fight is not with men here on earth but with demonic forces in the atmosphere around us.

It is against both your natural thought processes, and the way you have been trained, to think the way Yahweh thinks. When He doesn't meet your percieved needs on your terms, do you revoke His Lordship over that area, because it didn't fit into your box?

Many Christians acting out of a pagan-humanistic world-view (way of thinking), claim God's grace on or even demand His blessing over their fleshly/worldly choices in Life, claiming either that He has led them into it, or doesn't care about their choice to allow Self-Flesh or some other god to rule certain areas of their lives. This compartmentalizing of religion into a private area of their lives and trying to fit Yahweh's ways into their compartments has resulted in the Christian's loss of godly influence in, let alone dominion over, his world. For many their "Christianity" is so compartmentalized by Greek thinking that they believe Yeshua died only for spiritual salvation. That only spiritual eternal life is gained "in the sweet, by and by" and it doesn't matter what we do in the here and now. This is contrary to the Word of Yahweh! which says Yeshua died for SOZO-salvation which is complete wholeness, body, soul and spirit; not just to give birth to the spirit, but to deliver the soul and heal the body, to bring man into Tammin - completeness. He is Adonai (Lord) over not only the "4" Spiritual Laws but also the Laws of Nature that preside over both the just and the unjust. By His Nature, He does not suspend His Laws except by His mercy cried out for through the Blood of His own Son.

These old ways of the Flesh-world must be put to death, that Yahweh's ways will become your ways. When you submit your life to His Lordship, you must submit all of your Life; laying it on the altar of sacrifice; admitting the wretchedness of any area you have not submitted, and allow Him to transform you, change the way you think, redesign you into wholeness. Renewing of the Mind is a process, not a once and for all act like the death and resurrection of Yeshua for the rebirth of your spirit, that will last your lifetime. Through the act of rebirth and the process of renewing your mind, you will become all He created you to be, that you will walk in the fullness that he desires for you in ministry-service to Him, to your family, to your brothers and sisters in Messiah, and to the lost and dying world.

Renewing Your Mind

Casting Down Vain Imaginations & Developing a Biblical Worldview