Mind Repair

Rom 12:2 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.


And be not conformed to this world


con·form
[kuhn-fawrm]

Show IPA
–verb (used without object)
1.
to act in accordance or harmony; comply
2.
to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group
3.
to be or become similar in form, nature, or character.



We are not to be conformed- we are not to be in harmony, we are not to be in accord, we are not to be similar, we are not to be conformed to THIS world.


Do we really realize the significance of what this is telling us? When we grow up being told to conform every step of the way or else face ridicule and worse, do we really understand? Conform-- be like others, fit in, don't make a spectacle of yourself, behave, act normal. Most people conform so they don't stand out in a crowd. Fitting in is something we take pride in. Those who fit in are considered normal, those who don't are abnormal. Those who don't fit in are rebellious, oddballs, strange.


And be not conformed to this world


If we fit in this world, if we are not square pegs trying to fit in round holes, perhaps we need to look long and hard at ourselves. Alarm bells may be sounding already, those internal bells warning you that not fitting in is wrong. Being rebellious is wrong, right? Rebellion isn't proper. Did Jesus rebel? Did Jesus conform? Did Jesus act in harmony with society? Did Jesus become similar to those of His day in form, nature, or character? The answer to the first is yes, Jesus did rebel according to those in authority in His day. Jesus didn't conform to those wanting Him to conform. Jesus didn't act in harmony with society, but the thing here to really note is Jesus for the most part didn't use violence in his non-conformity. Jesus used love. Jesus wasn't similar to those in His day- He was amazingly different, He was unique, He was our great EXAMPLE.


1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps


Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.


Rom 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God


Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus


Rom 12:2 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.


Transformed! We are to be transformed! We are not to be part of this world, but we are to be transformed and in being transformed our minds are renewed and that will prove what is good, what is acceptable and perfect…. WILL OF GOD! It is the will of God that we be transformed and not conformed.


Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.


The renewing of our minds.
The renewing of the Holy Ghost.


Renewing--
G342
a??a?a?´??s??
anakaino¯sis
an-ak-ah'ee-no-sis
From G341; renovation: - renewing.


Renovate--
ren·o·vate
[ren-uh-veyt]

Show IPA verb, -vat·ed, -vat·ing, adjective
–verb (used with object)
1.
to restore to good condition; make new or as if new again; repair.
2.
to reinvigorate; refresh; revive.

Pasted from


Transformed by the renovation of our minds- transformed by the restoration of our minds, our minds made new, our minds repaired.


Oh to have my mind repaired! It is only through such renewing our transformation will take place and we will not be conformed to this world. By the grace and mercy of our wonderful Lord and Savior may we be renewed! His WILL be done!


In His love now and forever! All praise and glory to our Creator and Redeemer!


Amen.

We Will Remember the Name of the LORD

Psa 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.


This is so true. We trust in THINGS. People trust in things and people feel betrayed with things fail them, sometimes they take it as a personal affront. Things. Chariots…cars. Horses…cars. Think about it. If you're trusting in your chariot and your horses in David's day you were trusting in the things that transported you from place to place. Trusting in the thing not trusting in the name of the Lord. Whether it's a horse or a car, no matter the object if we place our trust in things we will ALWAYS end up disappointed sooner or later. Even the most reliable thing can fail us eventually, but God never ever fails us.


Oh yes, you'll have people who say that God lets us down more than any thing ever could but those people don't know God the way they should. Those people want a fairy god father not God our Heavenly Father.


We need to trust in the name of the LORD our God. When our trust is solely in God we will understand that things can fail us and will fail us, but never God, never.


May the name of the LORD our God be forever before us as we remember that He is trustworthy beyond all else! Many things in our lives will fail us, but not God. As our cars break down, as our houses show their age, as even our own bodies fail us in various ways, we need to remember that God will forever be One to trust. Failing things exists all around us and by the grace of God may we see their failure and use them as a reminder of God's unfailing love.


By the mercy of our Lord, in His righteousness now and forever!


Amen.

Beautiful Judgments!

Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.


How beautiful. There can be a conversion of the soul, the simple can be made wise. These are beautiful things, these things offer hope to us, great hope. To know that the law of the Lord is perfect is amazing. So many try to do away with the law as if it's something defective, something archaic. How can something that is declared perfect then be turned into something imperfect?


Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.


Perfect. I don't know about any one else but I want my soul to be converted, I want my simple-ness to be wise for the Lord.


Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.


Truth! The statutes of the Lord are right- rejoicing the heart!
The commandment of the Lord is pure- enlightening the eyes!


We can find so much in the law of the Lord, so much beauty. Where people see only restrictions there is pure love of God for His people.


Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.


Beautiful judgments! Wonderful judgments! We are so caught up in dreading judgments that we forget their wonder, and we certainly forget that we are to desire more than gold, fine gold and that they're sweeter than honey AND the honeycomb. We've been trained to fear, to reject, to want to hide or run from judgments. We don't want to be judge. We want to be forgiven. Yet to be forgiven we have to be determined in need of forgiveness. To be in need of forgiveness we have to be judged to be in need.


The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous!


Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.


Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins… let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.


Oh such words!!!! Take them to heart! We really need to take them to heart. LORD, please please keep thy servant from PRESUMPTUOUS sins! We sin so much, and we try to excuse our sinning but there is NO excuse for it, none. Please Lord keep us from presumptuous sins don't let them rule over us please! We need so much to be innocent from the great transgression.


Please we pray to you oh Lord, please, let our words, let our hearts be acceptable to You. You are our strength, you are our Redeemer!


By Your grace oh Lord! By Your mercy! Through Your love, Your righteousness now and forever!!!!


Amen.

Hast thou not known....

Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.


God is beyond anything we can fully comprehend. God truly does watch over us all the time and yes, that is everyone, and yes, that is all the time. People like to jump in just about now and go on about how horrible a God He must be to watch all the pain and suffering and do nothing. They like to imagine that if THEY were God they wouldn't have any pain or suffering going on at all, they'd be the best god ever. Of course to do that they'd have to become a dictator god doing away with free will, because to get everyone in order, especially after people chose to sin, would mean taking away that free will and getting a bunch of automatons in return. People that choose to do no harm, people that are all loving all the time because they were forced to be, they would be the result of any of us trying to play god.


There will be a day when life is without pain and fear. Only that beautiful day will be that way because of free will, because of choices made willingly for people to live that way- in the love of God. Through God's love, by His love, choosing love over all else, understanding that LOVE IS GOD and to take it outside of God destroys it completely warping it into something we imagine to be love, but is not really love at all.


We can't search God's understanding, it's beyond our comprehension. Until Christ returns and sin is destroyed once and forever we will live with limited understanding. Faith has to come in, faith in the belief that there is something much better, faith that there is more, that this is NOT the world we are supposed to be in, that there is a better world for us all.


Hast thou not known?
Hast thou not heard?
The everlasting God.
The Lord.
The Creator of the ends of the earth…
Fainteth not.
Neither is weary.
There is NO searching of his understanding.


God was, God is, God will always be.


We get to choose whether or not we will believe in God, if we will have faith in God. We are all free to choose and may God have mercy upon us as we fall before Him seeking the grace of our Savior living in His righteousness now and forever.


In the love of our God.


Amen.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.

The FOOL hath said in his heart THERE IS NO GOD.


Psa 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psa 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psa 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.


Hebrew word - Fool--

H5036
???
na^ba^l
naw-bawl'
From H5034; stupid; wicked (especially impious): - fool (-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.


The stupid person.
The wicked person (especially impious)


Dictionary… Impious--

im·pi·ous
[im-pee-uhs, im-pahy-]

Show IPA
–adjective
1.
not pious or religious; lacking reverence for god, religious practices, etc.; irreligious; ungodly.
2.
disrespectful.

Pasted from



The fool.


When we think of a fool we immediately can substitute that word for stupid, or we combine them to say stupid fool. We don't immediately think wicked when we think of fool, or impious, and fools in our minds are always considered vile people. Yet here we have this verse--


The FOOL hath said in his heart THERE IS NO GOD.


-- and this word fool goes beyond the way we normally interpret it. The wicked person, the vile person is more like it. The ungodly, the irreligious person will say in their hearts there is no God.


Do you know anyone that says there is no God? Do you know anyone that doesn't believe in God? Or maybe you know people who believe in God but just not the fact that He has any power at all. Some treat God as a huge joke. In our world anything goes. The rich and powerful, those considered highly intelligent, genius even, these people men and women alike, all fools.


Believing in their hearts that there is no God. Could this also include those who pretend to love God? There are a lot of people who say they believe in God but they don't, not really, not with a living faith. How many pretenders are there? More than we probably care to think about. Jesus will say to many that He never knew them. Why wouldn't He know them? Because they don't have a real faith, a real belief in God. Jesus will never say He never knew one that believes in Him fully in all faith, in all hope, trusting in Him for Salvation. The liar He won't admit to knowing, the fool He won't admit to knowing.


Could it be true that there might be some who say they don't believe in God, yet in their hearts they do?


Saying something in our hearts doesn't mean we always reveal it to others.


This verse goes on to say-- They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.


Whether blatantly or secretly- people can be corrupt, they can have works that are abominable, they can do no good. Some people don't hide their evil works, others hide them completely. God knows our hearts. God knows how we believe. God knows our faith, nothing is hidden from God, nothing.


God is alive!
God is real!
God is a living faith!
God is more real than any other!


If we live our lives believing God is far away and not aware of all our goings on, God is not real to us. If we live our lives believing God only sees us when we want Him to, God is not real. If God exists in our lives ONLY when we worship Him for an hour a week, or a day a week, or when we say grace before a meal or before sleeping… He's not real. God is always with us, always knowing. God is REAL.


Even the brightest person can be a fool. Even the kindest person can be a fool. We can't judge who is and isn't a fool- not always. Some are outright fools boasting there is no God, yet in the end we can't know even their hearts. May God bless us and keep us in Him, may we NEVER be fools, may we always believe that God is real with a very living faith and belief in His reality. Even at our darkest, even IN our darkest hours may our faith hold firm and unwavering.


By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!! In His righteousness! In His LOVE always!


Amen.

Secret Faults

Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.


Secret faults.

If something is a secret then it's hidden. Our secret faults are hidden from who? Certainly not God. Could it be that some of our faults are hidden from ourselves? People fool themselves all the time don't they? You wouldn't think a person could deceive themselves but they do it all the time. We do it ALL the time. Sometimes we're not aware of our negative traits until another points them out to us and then we often go on the defensive when we're made aware of them. We don't like to have faults, why would we, and we certainly don't like people noting our faults. Before God nothing is hidden, nothing is secret. God knows every single fault we have.


Can we understand our errors? We have them, lots of them. We need to realize that we have errors in our lives, that we have secret faults and we need cleansing from those faults. We are not perfect. We will never be faultless, only Christ is faultless. We need to be cleansed from not only faults we are aware of, but faults we are not aware of. We need to ask God to cleanse us because ONLY God can cleanse us from faults we aren't even aware of. It sounds as if that's a bit too much, but it's not if you really think about it. People aren't blameless just because they are unaware. We like to think we are blameless if we 'just didn't know' something. We feel helpless and confused if we are called out on something because of our lack of knowledge. I can't count the number of times I've used the excuse myself, saying, I didn't know. How can we be accountable for not knowing? Perhaps because there is or was an opportunity for us to know and we missed it? I'm not sure, but we are accountable for missed opportunities, aren't we?


Accountability is something we all have. We will account to God for our lives. We will be judged for our lives. It's no wonder we should ask God to cleanse us of our secret faults. Cleanse us. Make us clean through the blood of the Lamb. Cleanse us Lord we are filthy in ways we know and ways we don't know.


By Your grace and mercy Lord be our all in all, may Your righteousness be ours through your sacrifice.


In You now and forever!


Amen.

Ever Learning- Never Knowing

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.


2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.


Ever learning.
Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Imagine it. It'd be like running a race never to see the finish line. Like searching and never finding.


How can someone be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth? People study all the time on subjects that they find fascinating. There are many subjects that contain such a wealth of knowledge it'd be impossible to learn it all and yet people study. If you had a goal in mind when you were studying, something particular you want to learn, you study until you've exhausted every possible means of finding your answer. If I want to bake the best possible cake in the world I might study recipes and techniques of famous cake bakers. If I want to plant the best rose garden I possibly can I might study gardening and famous gardeners and their techniques. If I want to learn of the truth as it is in Jesus I will study His word and I will find that truth. The Bible speaks plainly enough, it's not crouched in some cryptic message that needs deciphering by the most famous Hebrew and Greek scholars. So how is it that someone can learn and continue to learn but never come to know what they are trying to learn? Is their desire sincere? That has to be the first question asked. People study for all sorts of reasons and not all of them reasons conducive to learning the truth. Another question might be is the one professing to want to learn really seeking truth or are they learning for other purposes? Is the truth to them all fact with no spirit? How can one be ever learning and read this…

'Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. '


…and not realize that Jesus is the truth? They might have a head knowledge, but not a heart knowledge and they might learn but never fully comprehend, never fully discern what those words mean.


In the last day there will be many who are 'ever learning' but 'never able to come to the knowledge of truth.'


Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Joh 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.


Grace and truth come by Jesus Christ. The law revealed the need for a Savior and Jesus is that Savior. Grace come through Jesus, the truth comes through Jesus.


Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.


Ever learning… yet they live in darkness, preferring darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil… everyone that doeth evil hateth light…never able to come to the knowledge of truth.


Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth


We must worship God in spirit and in truth. God cannot be worshipped by those who have no knowledge of the truth. God cannot be worshipped by those who will not worship Him in spirit.


Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.


We are made free through the truth and that truth is in Jesus' word. You can learn all you want of the Bible, learn all you want of the factual existence of Jesus but if you don't continue in Jesus' word, if you don't follow and believe in the words of Jesus you will never know the truth, never. You may be learned, but lost.


Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.



They could physically HEAR Jesus' words, but they couldn't comprehend what they were hearing, they couldn't understand His speech. Why? Why is it we can be learners and never know the truth? Because we can be of the devil. It's a hard fact, a true fact. Satan is the father of lies and there is NO truth in satan, none!


We can only know the truth if we are God's. If we cannot understand the truth of Jesus and His love it's because we are not of God, we are of the Devil. Make no mistake. There is no candy-coated truth here, just plain unadulterated truth. If you don't have the truth you are of Satan. You might not believe you are of Satan because you are a good person and don't worship Satan as one caught up in Devil worshipping, but you are of Satan just the same without all the pomp and circumstance of being a Devil worshipper. It's a fact that many don't want to consider, yet Jesus had NO trouble telling the truth of the matter to those that needed to hear it.


We cannot ever know the truth no matter how much we learn if we are not God's. We have to be God's and we can know the truth and that truth will set us free in Christ.


Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.


The Spirit of truth.


The world will NOT receive the Spirit of truth.


Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.


We will be guided into ALL truth by the Spirit of truth.


Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.


Sanctified through the truth!


Ever learning and never knowing the truth- the god-less! Those that God's are sanctified through the truth!


May we be God's fully, wholly God's! May we learn of the truth through the Spirit of truth. May we ever grow in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now and forever by His amazing love, through His righteousness, through His grace.


Make no mistake, the last days will be very perilous and Satan will stop at NOTHING to deceive all the people he can. We have to cling to Christ, our living Savior ever learning of Him in all truth, in the spirit by the Spirit of truth!


In Christ now and forever!

Amen.