Let me put it this way . . .I beleive we should live life from the realm of rest, not from a laboring mind. I do believe the mind does play a role, but I think that it's a role submissive to the spirit, not dominant over spiritual matters. The mind has preconceived boundaries and limitations, it doesn't have the ability to comprehend spiritual truth in and of itself . It requires the intervention of the Spirit of God . .but the intervention can only manifest when my mind is in submission to my spirit . . .and even
then, "intervention" may be too strong a word. It's simply the order of life. Spirit takes precedence over soul and body . . .if soul supercedes spirit, then the alignment is off and the spiritual flow is stopped as a result. Mind requires knowledge, spirit requires faith
Dear brother Nathan
What do you suppose this thread "Through The Eyes Of A Child." is all about, if not directed at man's preconceived ideas and values. It is these ideas and values that need removing and a new start being made, that is, being Born Again in its true spiritual sense.
Please read this about your ancestor, Moses, whose intimacy with the Spirit of God was greater than anything you or I could ever hope to achieve, and learn true Humility, Obedience and Submission to God's will, and not just what's in your head.
Moses had a higher intellect than any of his day or ours. Being brought up in Pharaoh's palace as the adopted son of his daughter he received the best education in the religion and culture of the most advanced nation in the world of that time. In addition to this, he received the finest education in the religion and culture of his natural heritage Hebrew from his mother who was appointed as his nursemaid.
This man, using his own understanding, thought he was being called by God to help his brethren who were being ill-treated, so he killed one to prove the point. But this action only brought upon him the scorn of his people and the wrath of his adoptive father Pharaoh. As a consequence in fear for his life he fled to the wilderness and tended his father-in-laws flock for the next forty years.
It was then that God, not he, who decided to do something about His nation's plight and called him.
The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings." (Ex.3:2-7).
"Remove your sandals from your feet." The mighty Moses, regardless of his high intellect and worldly knowledge, was being taught the first of four lessons in the religion and culture of His God;
HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE Ask yourself, what does man carry in his sandals other than the physical body? Is not his intellect with all its preconceived ideas and values a part of him?
Then came the shock;
"Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" (Ex.3:10-11). Moses tried every trick in the book to get out of this dangerous task;
Moses' Plea …But Pharaoh wants to kill me!
God's Answer …That's true, but that Pharaoh is dead, this a new Pharaoh.
Moses' Plea ……The people don't trust me they won't listen!
God's Answer.…..That is true, but there again this is a new generation, they don't know you. Just say to them that, I AM, has sent you for that is My name, and use this sign which I give you as proof.
.
Moses'Plea …..But, Lord, I stutter and stammer and they won't understand what I am saying to them, neither will Pharaoh!
God's Answer That also is true, but there is nothing wrong with your brother Aaron's voice, now is there? He can be your voice.
Moses ran out of excuses and gave up. He was being taught his third lesson in the religion and culture of his God;
COMPLETE SUBMISSION TO HIS FATHER'S WILL. . Well this is what God was requiring him to do, divest himself of all his preconceived ideas and values - and he had more of those than you and I put together - and start afresh with Him.
Be Born Again. I feel it is time for you to do the same, brother. IMO
All summed up in a singe phrase;
"TRUST IN THE LORD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING " (Pro.3:5).
But the Lord had not finished with Moses, he had to be taught yet one more vital lesson;
The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, "Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. "For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel." (Deut.32:48-52).
Moses had now learned the last lesson in the religion and culture of God's kingdom, the result of
DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMAND.All summed up in a single phrase;
"THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT TO A MAN, BUT ITS END IS THE WAY OF DEATH." (Pro.14:12 & 16:25)
But I ask you, Why am I quoting Scripture when Nathan only believes in what is in his head and relies on his own understanding. Brother with every post I have sent you I have gone to lengths to back what I am saying with the appropriate Scripture, but when I look at your replies I see no Scriptural quotes only Nathan and what Nathan thinks. I say this in love and mean no offence, but what we are about here is God's Word and not Nathan's. It has left me wondering as to what you are preaching, brother; is it God's Word or is it what's in Nathan's head and what he thinks it should be?
Faith without works is dead . . .sigh . . . the message there was not to emphasize works only . . .for me, it's saying "I don't do what I do in order to receive faith . . .I do what I do because faith is manifesting through me . . ." Requiring Scriptural proof for one's belief is not faith . . .it's knowledge. Knowledge of Scripture "leads to" faith, but faith doesn't require proof of anything. If it did, it wouldn't be faith
.
This is an extraordinary comment Nathan, especially with the …sigh thrown in. Do you believe God's Word or not? I quoted just a single line of that Scripture thinking you'd take the trouble to read all that the Apostle James has to say on the subject not to mention the Apostle Peter's verdict on it? I very much doubt it you have read these two Scriptures, as your comment is an offence, not to me, but to the Scriptures themselves. Please don't let yourself get carried away with ideas of your own imagination.
Please have more respect for God's Word even if you consider it to be an inaccurate translation or interpretation. Most of the popular Bibles render them virtually the same, so I put my trust in God and believe them and not my own understanding of what they might mean. There are too many meanings that can be put into these Scriptures and claimed to be spiritual, but the real Spiritual meaning hits one like a brick, and then you know it is the TRUTH. Your opinion is yours, you stick to it and I'll keep mine, fair enough don't you think?
Roy (UK)
