Two Mindsets ...Two Way of Thinking

We were created with two mindsets. Which one dominates you?
A Devotional Study on Romans 8:1-8

All of us were born with two kinds of mindset, both operates simultaneously, but only one dominates, the other one in passivity. Whichever dominates, or whichever is passive is the common concern to all of us, because it certainly has some effects to our lifestyle.

Let us read in the passage below ( clik the link).

Book of Romans Chapter 8 verses 1- 11, NIV

The passage recognized that we humans were created with two kinds of mind sets, and the Bible devoted chapters in its three books, the books of Romans, Colossians and 2 Corinthians to discuss about the importance of having the right mind set to dominate our thinking. This right mindset not only pleases God, but also is beneficial to our existence. The right mindset influences our victories and downfall.

The first mindset is what the passage refers to, the carnal mind. The carnal or the " fleshly mind" or in short, the self mindset. It is the mindset that so directed to personal and material gain, achievement, performances, etc. In it are our choices and decisions without considering their spiritual implications upon us. The carnal mind is not only preoccupied with the self's  intentions and motives, it is also hunted upon by  negative thoughts and feelings specially the untrained mind. The carnal mind is susceptible to feelings of rejection, failures, self glory, pride, lust ( in any form), superiority as well as inferiority, any feelings that is not originally designed for us to feel. " Not originally designed for us to feel" connotes that we humans were created with all positive attributes. It is the inherent sin of our ancestors, Adam and Eve, that stained the DNA of the generations that followed them. 

Another thing to note in the passage is that, the carnal mind does not please God, nor it will ever please Him. Why? It is this kind of mind that thinks and act against His will . It even devised wickedness to usurp, blaspheme, contradict, and defy His lordship and commandments. This carnal mind in operation hinders us to see the very purpose of God for our lives. God in His lovingkindness wants to be in harmony with us, and to show us His wonderful plan and blessings. 

In contrast is the 2nd kind of mindset, the spiritual mindset, the mindset that seeks things that are heavenly. It thinks and operates according to God's will. It thinks things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely...

Read: Philippians 4:8

spiritual mind

This mindset can easily discern the will of God because of its focus. 

Let us not forget that the world that we live is has two overlapping dimensions operating simulteneously: the physical and the spiritual. Man is a spiritual being. That explains his hunger to seek religion, to seek about a god, to seek about spiritual matters. This objective if not guided will fall in the knowledge of evil, rather than godly.  

Will the One who created us seeks that which is evil for his creation? Absolutely No! It is His desire for us to His creation, to know His heart and mind for our good and excellent living. That's why, the Bible, His word, explicitly is telling us to develop in our brain the spiritual mindset. To harness and transform our carnal mind into a spiritual mind, and let it dominates our thinking style. It is this kind of thinking that brings peace and joy to our being, which is not influenced by emotions and material things but of the truth.The truth that sets us free. 

Developing a spiritual mindset is quite difficult specially if we have become used to our own way of thinking, but attainable. God won't instruct us to do something which is impossible for us to do. He knows our limitations. The carnal mind sets the limitations in our being. And God wants us to be free even in our thinking because He created our minds with limitless possibilities. And He knows that to set our minds free from the clutter of the carnal mindset will mean harmony, peace, joy and love for our being.

The first step is to truly seek God and establish a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ who is the way to God our Father in heaven. In this I can guide you by praying with me.

" Almighty God in heaven, I come to You, seeking You with all my heart .

  I recognize that I need You to fix my life. 

  I recognize the sin in me, and I repent from all of those sins that I've done.

  I won't do them anymore. I wanted a new and changed life and thinking.

  God forgive me. 

  I recognize that I cannot go to You by my own .

  I put my trust in You, Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.

  I ask You Jesus, to come to my life, to my heart, and save me.

  Heal my mind. Heal my spirit. bring me back to life.

  And help me to live for You. help me to know Your will and plan for me."

  Thank you Lord. 

  In Jesus name....my Lord and Savior, amen.

If you already have a relationship with God: enter into the next step:  nourish that relationship always, saturate your mind with His word. ... ask God's help to subdue your carnal mindset but you also need to take action. This initial action is the discipline of your emotions and reactions. 

We will deal with the discipline of emotions and reactions in the next blog posts.

" He that ruleth his spirit is better than he who taketh a city."-proverbs 16:32

The Power of Zero Principle

The principle of zero is dying to self.
A devotional study of Isaiah 20:1-6

" In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Zargon the king of Assyria sent him), and fought against Ashdod, and took it; At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saying: "Go and loose the sackloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoes from thy foot. " And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

And the Lord said, "Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian prisoners, and the Ethiopian captives,young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. And the inhabitants of this isle shall say on that day, "Behold such is our expectation,wither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?"

Isaiah 20: 1-6 ( AKJV)

A brief look at the history tells us that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the grandson of Manasseh, of a royal family, is the prophet of the time when Israel was divided into two kingdoms, and is looking forward to captivity. Because at that time, Assyria, (which is the modern Syria today) was the dominating power . To both kingdoms of Israel, Assyria was a posing threat. At that time, both kingdoms were submerged in idolatry and evil. God again and again called on to the people of Israel to forsake their evil ways and turn to Him for their salvation but they would not so. The people and its kings would rather trust their allied countries Egypt and Ethiopia for their safety and security.

God seeing the posing invasion of  Assyria (713 BC) , God spoke to Isaiah to bare naked himself as a sign of what will happen to Israel if they would not listen to Him.... for three years, Isaiah has to walk around the cities, bare naked! Did the invasion happen? Yes, in 2 Kings 15-16 in the Bible described the Assyrian invasion of Israel. If only Israel listened. 

So much for history. What does the passages tell you personally?

the bridge to the shinning glory of Jesus is to be zero

     

To walk bare naked in Israel is unlawful. But Isaiah obeyed the Lord. He was a prophet of gesture. Gesturing what will happen to the people as what the Lord reveled to him. Knowing his purpose, and faithful to it, he didn't mind what will be its outcome to him. Of course, we all know what bare nakedness brings --- it's shame, dishonor, humiliation. A royal blooded Isaiah walked bare naked for three years around the cities! What will make him dress up? The people's positive response to God's calling will. 

To "walk bare naked" is becoming "zero" in the eyes of the Lord. It simply means shedding all of "what is you" .... your position. your glory, your job, your honor, your selfishness, your internal motives, yourself...yourself..and yourself. My " me, myself and I", stripped of glory. 

 The principle is difficult to comprehend in the midst of achievement. We  have seen and heard people in the success level impressing us with their holy allegiance with God, only to be exposed by how they treat others lower than them. That is the reason why Jesus summed up the 10 commandments into two:

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 

-Matthew 22: 36-39 (NIV)

The second commandment is the test of the first commandment.

The Principle of Zero is the gateway to a closer encounter with God. We all had a close encounter with God, but the I mean, closER. Seeing the God, your Maker actively working with you on the day to day basis is a different story from the occasional experience we have with Him. It will take a very intimate relationship with the Almighty God to see Him active with you daily.  This principle is the secret to the " undying oil" of the anointing in you. And most of all, the closer walk with God creates a transformation within us that no psychiatrist nor psychologist can ever do. It's the key to a no-return-to- the- past attitude and behavioral transformation. And when you're in the ministry, you badly need to be zero. We cannot fully obey if we are not zero. I mean "fully".

But never forget that we can only relate to God through Jesus Christ. No other way, no other person-- only through Jesus. And when we do, let's zero ourselves.

Enough explanations. Let's desire it.