Renewing Your Mind Series: Are You Carnal Minded?

Romans 8:5-8

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

What do you set your mind on everyday? Is it pursuing your dreams? Your spouse? Children? Work? Girlfriend/Boyfriend? Movies? T.V. Shows? Video Games? Sports? Social Media? Etc.......

If you think about any one or more of the above things all day long, your mind is carnal! 

Paul had to deal with carnal Christians in the first century church.

1st Corinthians 3:1-4

"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

So what does carnal mean?

"not spiritual; merely human; temporal; worldly: a man of secular, rather carnal, leanings." (dictionary.com)

Paul's goal as a minister of God was to present the saints perfect or mature in Christ and he wanted all the saints to have the same mind.

Colossians 1:27-29

"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

1st Corinthians 1:10

"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

So what do you talk about after your Sunday morning service? The next professional sports game? What restaurant to go to for lunch? Politics? Who wore this or that?

If you don't pray consistently, study the scriptures, and meditate on the word of God daily, then your mind is carnal!

In Jesus,
Tyrone

Renewing Your Mind (series): Satan's Great Deception

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."

So many THINK they are intelligent, intellectual, and quick witted, they use logic and reason instead of faith to live out their daily lives. They may be wise according to man's standards, but not to God's!

And all the while they walk in a spiritual blindness and darkness that only Jesus can deliver them from.

What's worse though is those who THINK they know God but in reality they do not!

That's how the Pharisees and Sadducees were in the days of Jesus earthly ministry, and the same is true today with those who profess to be Christians but have never been truly converted to Christ.

Satan's first deception of mankind happened in the garden of Eden and what did Satan do to Eve? He deceived her into believing a lie that she would become like God when she ate the forbidden fruit, but she didn't understand that she was already like God!

The same is true today, Satan deceives people into believing that this life is all there is, so live your best life now, do what you want, live how you want, you only get one life they say.

All the way's of Satan and man lead to the death of the soul (separation from God in Hell) if they die in their sins, and eternal separation from God in the lake of fire if their name is not written in the Lamb's book of life.

Psalm 94:11

"The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile."

1 Corinthians 3:19-20

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

Proverbs 14:12

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."

Very few understand how the enemy of ALL our souls operates, but God opens the minds and the hearts of those who are true followers of Christ and those who seek after Him and His wisdom.

Do you understand that Satan has the power to deceive the whole world?

Revelation 12:19

"So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

That's why Paul told the Ephesian saints to put on the WHOLE armor of God!

Ephesians 6:10-11

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

Will you stand in the truth of God with the mind of Christ? Or will you fall under the great deception of the master deceiver?

In Jesus,
Tyrone

Renewing Your Mind (series): You Are What You Think!

What do you think about all day? Do you meditate on the word of God? Or is your mind on the cares of this world?

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, and David the second king of Israel, understood how important the mind is, they knew the secret to overcoming this world, Satan, and the flesh that our souls inhabit.

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Psalm 119:15-16, 97, 99

I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.

No wonder David was a man after God's own heart!

If you spend your day thinking about your job, your spouse, kids, finances, your favorite T.V. show, hobbies, or who's leading in the standings of professional sports, then your mind needs to be renewed! Especially if you're a professing Christian!

Martha was worrying about her sister not helping her in the house, but she should have been doing what Mary was doing, listening and meditating on the words of Jesus!

Luke 10:38-42

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Even Peter's mind was still in need of renewal after years of being taught by Jesus Himself!

Matthew 16:21-23

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Are you mindful of the things of God? Or the things of men?

As you think in your heart and mind, so you will be!

In Jesus,
Tyrone

Renewing Your Mind (series): The Immortal Soul

Matthew 10:28

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."

Did Jesus give us a clear distinction between the body and the soul in the above scripture? Yes He did!

The first century Christians understood that life did not end after their bodies were killed, the scriptures tell us they were beheaded, sawn in two, fed to lions, and tortured to death, but they looked forward to a better resurrection!

Hebrews 11:35

"Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection."

How could they face such persecution and death like they did? Their minds were renewed to the truth of who they really were in Christ!

If today's Christian would understand that they are immortal souls just inhabiting a physical fleshly body then they could begin to live life in a completely new way, they would have a different perspective on the world and every thing in it!

That's why Paul said we no longer regard anyone from a fleshly point of view!

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

"Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

The first century apostles understood the makeup of a human being and knew that after their bodies died their souls would live on!

2 Peter 1:12-14

"For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed

me."

The KJV translation uses the word 'tabernacle' instead of 'tent'. Both words come from the Greek word 'Skenoma' which means:

The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon

Strong's Number: 4638
Original Word Word Origin
skhvnwma from (4637)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Skenoma 7:383,1040
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
skay'-no-mah Noun Neuter

Definition

1. a tent, a tabernacle
      a. of the temple as God's habitation
      b. of the tabernacle of the covenant

    *c. metaph. of the human body as the dwelling of the soul

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

"So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

The Greek Interlinear bible says in verse eight:

"We are assured, then, and think it good rather to go away from home out of the body, and to come home to the Lord."

Did you know that we will be judged according to what we have done while IN the body?

2 Corinthians 5:10

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in (through) the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

John 11:25-26

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

In Jesus,

Tyrone