The human mind:

The human mind was never created to function outside of the anointing of God. God created the human mind to literally flow with the holy anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. The book of Proverbs tells us that all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding come from God. Given that reality, who would want to be unplugged?

The Scripture is clear that we are three part beings. We have a spirit, soul, and body. The word for soul is also translated as mind, heart, and life. It appears that when we are born again our spirits are joined to the Holy Spirit in an amazing way. From that moment on, it is a battle for the mind. If we yield to the Holy Spirit, that puts our spirit in control of the mind. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed-literally transfigured-by the renewing of your mind. That's all in passive voice, so it means that someone else is doing the renewing and the transfiguring-the Holy Spirit.

We believe that this transformation will include a changed life and much more. The word that God uses here, He does not use lightly. It is only used in three Scriptures. The Greek word is metamorphoo. It refers to a metamorphosis. It is used when Paul says that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices and prove what is the good, acceptable and complete will of God is and to be transformed (metamorphoo) by the renewing of our minds. It is used to tell us that as we all take the veil away from our faces and see the glory of the Lord in those who are reflecting His glory, those who are being made into the image of God, that we will be transformed (metamorphoo) into the same image from glory to ever increasing glory and this will be done by the Spirit of the Lord. The real meaning, though is seen in the transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus was transfigured (metamorphoo) before them. If you can receive it, this is what is meant my this word. Salvation is much greater than we think. And four references of Scripture point to this transfiguration as the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ in His Kingdom and in His power. I don't say that I fully understand this. Perhaps no one does. At the same time, I don't want to tell God what His limits are. I want to walk into everything that He has for me. How about you?

Understanding some biblical terms:

Some time ago, God showed me that grace is not forgiveness. The Greek word, charis, means free gift or unmerited favor. Paul says that, when he does good works, it is not he, Paul, who does the works but grace that lives in Paul. There are other verses that equate charis with the Holy Spirit and that equate charis with power. I don't claim to understand this one hundred percent, but I have touched the edges of that power.

Faith is the other word. The Greek word, pistis, literally means stability. The Bible gives us some clues as to what it is. First, it is a substance-the substance of things hoped for. It is also evidence-the evidence of things not seen. And faith without works is dead. Also, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Literally, that is: faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by A" word from God. We know from a multitude of other scriptures that God does speak. Anyone who will explore finds out by experience that God can be found. We also know that we can learn to discern His voice from other spriits and from our own minds and that it is a sin to speak a vision out of our own minds,

By grace through faith:

God showed me a vision of a leaf and it was being carried by the wind. The shape of the leaf is faith. The wind is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit can take the leaf wherever it wants because of the shape of the leaf. The Holy Spirit can take us wherever He wants if we just have faith. If the leaf were a rock, the wind would have little effect on the leaf/rock. When we hear God's voice, and He tells us something, we can either obey or not. When we obey, our senses are exercised by reason of use and we can hear better the next time. When we disobey, our consciences are seared by a hot iron and we have a bit of spiritual hearing loss.

Strait and narrow:

Now, here is the amazing thing that I just realized about the strait and narrow way. We just never realized how strait and how narrow this way is. Of course, we know that strait is not straight. Strait is the gate. So it is a constricted gate. Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the door.

Take what the Bible says about faith and add one more point from Scripture: whatever is not of faith is sin. That means that if God didn't tell me to do it,then it is sin for me. If God tells me to do something and I don't do it, then it is sin to me. It is disobedience. It is falling short. The reality is that God directs our lives. When He does, we either obey or we don't. There are no gray areas. There are no shades or shadows. When God directs us to take one of two very good and Scriptural choices, only one of them is the direction of God. Not only that, but God never contradicts Himself-that is, His direction is always in line with Scripture. And the Scripture cannot be broken.

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