The Soul & God’s Will

In Genesis 2:7 says “And the LORD God formed a man’s body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.”

Adam did not become a “man” until God breathed life into his body. He did not become a man until God breathed his soul into him.

The transliteration of the word “soul” is psyche.

Each soul God makes is unique. The word soul in the Hebrew is translated in Strong’s concordance as breath, the breath of life, the vital force, which animates the body and shows itself in breathing of animals and in men. Soul is life, that in which there is life, a living being, and living soul. The soul is the seat of feelings, desires, affections, and aversions (our heart, soul etc). The human soul is so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness. The soul is regarded as the moral being designed for everlasting life. The soul is an essence, which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death. It is distinguished from other parts of the body.)

The soul, given use of the "right" use of “aids” offered by God can help him or her attain the highest results and secure eternal blessedness.

1. An aid would include the Holy Spirit, where a person is “born again.” You can only be born again if you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. You truly believe he is the the SON of God and "is" eternal life itself. He laid down his life and had the power to pick it up again. Not some lie silly that spirit of this world has made up. Those in Jesus Christ are no longer influenced as those with the spirit of this world but are filled by the Holy Spirit - who secures their entry into heaven (The Kingdom of God). Jesus Christ gives his Holy Spirit to aid his workers “see” and do what needs to be done. He (the Holy Spirit) shows us what is wrong and right in our lives. He helps us overcome what is wrong in our lives. He does not just leave what is wrong in our lives but helps us overcome the things that are wrong in our lives. John 3:5

2. An aid would include Holy Spirit gifts. 1 Corinthians 12

3. An aid would include the desires, affections, talents, abilities, skills, feelings and even dislikes that are uniquely you.

Please note that the bible is the instruction manual to life and we have a difficult understanding the bible without God's Holy Spirit. Believe me, I tried when I was not a Christian and the words might as well been ink splatters on a white page and what I could read I could not retain.

God has given the soul these things not so we will waste them but to use them to give us a purpose and to further the kingdom of God. it is hard to imagine but God has prepared our souls for success in this life but we have to use the right aids and use them appropriately.

"Our goal in loving other people is that they will see in us the love of Christ. Not all of us do this in the same way. God has equipped each of us individually with gifts and abilities, interests and inclinations, that He will use to make our service to Him exactly what the people around us need." 1 Peter 4:7-11

What do people need? They need God. I need God everyday. I can not do what I do for the service of Christ without God's help. My life would be in tatters if I tried to live this life in my own ways, own understandings and my own strength.

Each of us, each soul, has a choice to serve God or serve the spirit of this world, which is Satan. (I have already given you my account of Satan. He is very real. So I will not go over that experience again.)

Satan can make you what the world calls "successful" in this life. You can tackle the things in this life by the spirit of this world - where you will succeed in the things of this world but the things of this world will continue make you a slave to them -for they are only as good as “mirages” once you possess them and if you possess them for "selfish" reasons. The things of this world will keep you searching and looking for something more to try to satisfy your unquenchable thirst brought on by your own human understandings and lack of respect for God.

You might be what the world considers rich but inside your soul penniless.

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

The Spirit of God is the only one to satisfy your thirst. He offers true life and eternal life in heaven unlike the spirit of this world, which blinds and tricks you. People who live according to this world have freely allowed these chains to be put on them and if they continue, those chains will drag their soul to hell. God has given us Jesus Christ but if our choice is to serve the spirit of this world and not Jesus, God will turn away from us and let the chains of bondage take us to hell because we did not heed his warnings. Jesus Christ is the key to free you from the chains of hell. He gives the Holy Spirit who gives true life and eternal life in heaven.

Matthew 10:28 Jesus says "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Proverbs 9:10 “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”

Proverbs 14:27 “Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death.”

This may sound harsh to some of you but everything is black and white to the LORD.

Matthew 16:23-27 Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.

Why gain the world’s respect? Why do as the world does? Why understand as the world understands? What do you really gain? Why be as the world wants you to be? Why serve the world that will only take your soul and plunge it into the dark pit of hell?

Who are you soul? Who are you serving soul? Have you lost who you are by living the world’s way or are you living by God's Spirit? There are plenty of people who could be used by God but they sit there because they don't trust God, follow the Holy Spirit's leading, and have turned who they are off because the world and themselves didn't appreciate the soul God made.

Just as it was for me… there is still hope if you are still breathing. There is only one who can reach into the deep hole you found yourself in. There is only one who can lead you to and show you your true destiny and that person is Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

How can love yourself if you are living and serving the world and not respecting the soul God breathed into you? How can love your neighbor “ (1 Corinthians 13) the right way if you don’t love yourself the right way. How can you love God if you don’t love yourself the way you are suppose to love yourself? Your hours and days of this life are a waste if you don’t love as God has said. (1 Corinthians 13.)

Who are you soul?

God made each of us special. He has plans for us but its kind of hard to go ahead with God’s plans if we don’t know what we are starting with or have been living a waste of a life.

Ever heard the proverb, “When you dig a well, you may fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you! When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax! Such are the risks of life.”? Proverbs 10:8-9

Such are the risks… when you are on the quest of being the person God created you to be.

Are you being suppressed, oppressed, taunted, abused, tempted, belittled, knocked down, told you're not good enough, pressured to be someone you are not? If so ask yourself: "What is the danger of being me?" Who am I a danger to? Was Jesus Christ being Jesus Christ a problem to others? Facts are there is no need for the devil or anyone else to come after you if you living a life of sin and/or are not living your true identity. The devil wants to keep captive whom he has. He doesn’t like turncoats. You are a danger to him if you want to be the soul God created you to be. Are you willing to live a lie to appease others? You want to serve Satan instead of God?

Who are you?

It’s our choice to embrace those God gifted talents, interests and qualities or not - and even a choice to use them for Him or for our sinful and selfish ways. Our sinful ways will always leave us empty. Living the ways of this world, wanting to appease others and living by others expectations instead of living as the SOUL God intended you to be -cannot just leave you empty but be very dangerous.

Sometimes we try to hang on to life by putting who we are to the side and we do that to try to gain the love and respect of others but in the end we are lost and destroyed. We must not be ashamed of Jesus or the person God made for Jesus.

Colossians 1:15-16 says “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.”

What lays hidden within you? What did God create in you to serve Jesus?

Sin leads to sin. What is the root of sin?

Do you love yourself? Not talking of a prideful love, which has been seeded and influenced by the spirit of this world.

NOTE-And so people don’t twist my words this has NOTHING to do with a person's right to be homosexual, gay or a lesbian or living immoral lifestyle. The bible is clear - those things are wrong. Children: You being you doesn't mean you have a right to be rude and disrespectful to your parents. Remember everything not done in love of Christ is useless.

Have you allowed the spirit of evil to "seed" things into your life and you are now being awakened to that fact? You have now been able to reached out of the heap of this world and feel freedom with your fingers?

Jesus says in Mark 7:20-23: "It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you."

Has there been anything planted in your soul that is being grown and spreading like weed or a curse? Have spoken things into your life and others people's life that is destructive to your soul and their soul. "I can't, I will never, you will never, you are..."

Do you have no room for God who made your soul?

Jesus says in John 8:44-47” For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don't believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don't listen because you don't belong to God."

Are we truly accepting what Jesus has said or are we believing the world? Who is influencing our decisions?

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

Have we been blinded some way?

Do you love who you are -if you don’t know who you are? Can you love anyone else effectively if you don’t effectively embrace the SOUL God made you to be? Can you love God with all your heart, all your soul and your entire mind if you don’t know whom you are?

Is there any rest or any assurance if you don’t appreciate the SOUL God has made and trust in God who knows why that soul was made- the way it was made? Can you move ahead in the pursuits God has for you?

There is a fine line between living a lie and a sacrifice. Christ never forgot who he was when he was down here on earth. Your guide should be Jesus Christ who can and has set you free from the rules of this world. He has set you free from the spells and curses of individuals. God has put the possible and possibilities in you- in accordance to his will.

With God’s will + your true self, (your soul) in Christ = they are like an eagle and it’s wings.

How can you do what God has asked of you and made you for if you aren’t you? How can you really love God enough to do what he has asked of you if you aren’t living the true you?

You not living who you are is like a person with a medical condition- who doesn’t do anything because of the medical condition. It is like an over weight individual who doesn’t do anything because they are over weight.

Jesus said “I am the true vine, my Father is the Gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” John 15:1-2

The Gardener has planted Jesus Christ in the true Christian heart. He has also planted our soul with his breath so we might serve Jesus with all our heart mind and soul. We might serve him with our entire true self.

God wants to trim and weed out all the stuff that isn’t of you- the stuff that burdens you and doesn’t produce good fruit- the stuff that keeps your mind occupied on matters that oppress and hinder you- the stuff that makes you a victim instead of a victor.

Jesus didn’t lay down his life as a victim but as a victor- to lay down your life without love is pointless.

Your true self- your soul that God made is not useless and to be wasted but again it’s our choice.

Just as ruin starts in the heart so does successful Godly control start in the heart. It’s a choice. God’s ordain destiny cannot take place if you don’t appreciate the SOUL God created. Come to Jesus. Find out why God created you and see how he can use the things he put into you to give you a purpose while furthering the kingdom of God.

Before you started putting away who you were as a child, or a young adult or adult full of circumstances… Before you were trying to live something you were not. Before you became this shell of a person lost and unfulfilled and trying to be something you were never meant to become… who were you?

If you are dating someone and you have to hide who you really are… Ask yourself this question. “When things start to get serious and things lead to marriage -is the person your marrying – marrying you or marrying someone you are pretending to be?

In Narnia “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” there is a girl named Lucy who wants to look and be her older sister Susan so she speaks a spell over her life and not realizing her value and God’s ordained destiny she found she “could” not just actually speak herself out of existence but out of the role God has for her to walk out.

Satan wants to steal God’s work in you. He wants you to forget and make you choose not to be the soul God made you to be.

Don’t doubt your value and run from whom you are.

Walk in the things that God put in your soul. Fear and respect God and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance which Jesus alone gives to his followers, build on those things as you continue in your relationship with Jesus and you will be a mighty heaven bound vessel of God

Talk

My observations about speaking this week:
"Talk without action is like heavy clouds but no rain." - J.D. JOHNS

(“The wise don't make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.” Proverbs 12:23)

Secure Your Minds

Dropping off some family at the airport the other day and I could not help but notice a lot of police and unmarked cars along the freeway and at the airport. They even had a helicopter flying around the area. “What is going on?” I wondered. Is there an Amber Alert? Is there a terrorist threat? Is there a wanted fugitive loose? Is there a former president in town? I later got a phone call from the family I had just recently dropped off and they said they were closing the airport down because President Obama was flying into town.

I thought, “That would be cool to actually see Air Force One land.” When I got home I looked up the reason for why Obama was flying into town and found it was for a fundraiser. The fundraiser was charging $35,000 dollars a plate and $50,000 dollars for a couple. That is crazy!!! Who has that kind of money?

I hoped that maybe he was flying into town to see the extent of the damage from the recent fires that wiped out entire neighborhoods and he was reconsidering his stance on offering federal assistance but no he was not here to offer money for the fighting fire effort but here to take money instead. So what is the positive side of all this?

The positive side was how impressed I was with all the visible security along the roadways. “What if our thoughts had that same kind of watchful security force?” I thought. I hadn't done anything wrong but I was very conscious of my driving in the area. This led to another thought- We as Christians seem to have a lack of reverence towards God. We seem to forget he is watching us at all times. And if we had the reverence we are to have towards God maybe we would be more mindful of our actions and words in this life.

Then I thought about those airport-scanning machines…. And how they can see into our luggage and detect “what is” and “maybe a danger”.

You know God can see inside this vessel. He can see the motives of our heart. Where do motives start?

1 Thessalonians 2:4 “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”

1 Corinthians 4:5 “So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.”

Statements like those should be at the forefront of our mind and act as a gatekeeper for our thoughts but unfortunately we sometimes give other things in life a backstage pass when all they do is breed sin and lack of faith. Scriptures like those should bring us to repentance and help us to have greater respect for God. It should want us to ask God to be the gatekeeper of our mind and heart everyday.

We have these brown and white scorpions that come out at night. They can get into your house. Their sting is pretty painful if you get stung by one. I know some people that actually hunt them down at night with a black light. A black light makes the scorpions light up like a florescent green glow stick and when this family spots them they go out and stomp on the buggers, which is a good thing because scorpions can have several dozens of babies at one time.

A thought can be a very powerful thing. We have thoughts that can empower us to live a good Christian life or thoughts that can be venomous and painful to ourselves and those around us. Our thoughts can multiply and spread. The thoughts we should watch out for are the ones that breed fear, doubt, anger, pride, discouragement, falsehood and so on...

We live in dark world. I have pretty much stopped watching the news and am very selective to what I listen to on the radio for news -for many things on the airways today are negative, twisted and one sided. I cannot trust in what I see or hear anymore. I must trust God. We must invite God to be our daily security service detail. God is like that black light that reveals all the venomous things in our thoughts. With God’s help, he can bring every thought captive that rises and goes against the knowledge of God. We are not our own but we tend to live as we have some say or leeway in this life. If we want to life fulfilled as a Christian we must have God be our leader in all things in life. God's knows our destiny. He has the plans. He created us for a purpose.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”

We have thoughts come at us that exalt themselves against the knowledge God has given us.

We can’t live our lives as if we are asleep. We can’t just go with the flow. We have to be watchful of our thoughts… and if you are a person like me - who thinks a lot about things -we must never let the kite fly too far from the spool. Our thoughts are like a selfish-little child that puts whatever it wants into our grocery cart and if we aren’t paying attention we’ll end up paying for those things in one way or another.

Think about this. Are we letting “everything” come down our conveyer belt of thought -to be placed in our grocery sack to be eaten?

1 Thessalonians 5:6 says “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.”

Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

1 Peter 5:8 says “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Our thoughts should be focused on our hope in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:17 “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

The helmet of our salvation is OUR HOPE in Jesus Christ. A person can not endure without these three things, HOPE, LOVE, and FAITH. A person without Jesus Christ is without hope, does not know what real love is and has religion instead of faith. GOD's word is our defense and our surgeon. It not only protects us but also detects what is wrong with our lives and needs to be fixed by God's Spirit -so we can be well equipped and be all that God called us to be.

How is our appetite for God’s word? Are we getting all we need to walk this Christian path and destiny God has for us? Knowledge and wisdom aren’t found in what society thinks as important. They are found in the word of God and God’s Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned [them], and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

1 Corinthians 2:11-16 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.”

So secure your mind in Christ. Let him who knows you and has gone through all the temptations of life be your mind's gatekeeper and instructor.

Be Anxious For Nothing

“The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” Proverbs 20:24

Why try to understand (insert thought here.)

There are examples in God’s word of individuals who didn’t understand where it was they were to go or when their promises would happen but trusted God that they would happen. They probably spent many hours looking and speaking with God about confirming those things to them as they followed the steps in which God told them to go.

Were they ever anxious? I am sure they were. They probably made mistakes because they were anxious. I am sure they got some flack because those who surrounded and lived with them didn’t understand and were anxious themselves about what God was doing in their life.

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord [is] at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7

Ever try to figure out your destiny?

If we are seeking God and his purpose in our life our faith will be challenged. Challenges can often bring out the best of us or the worst of us at times.

We don’t always understanding why the tracks of life change. Why at times no one else sees what we see. Why we can see and hear the words and others can’t. Why others seem comfortable with what seems the status quo. Why others are unaware of their actions which sickens your stomach and everything seems to be dried out but no one seems to care.

The human side of us wants to understand why things happen and put a feeling with the things we don’t understand but God is the only one who can see and comprehend what is happening. I guess what really matters… is where we stand with God. How do our actions add up? Are we striving to live by God’s Spirit, grace, wisdom and love and word? Are we in the place God wants us to be?

Life can seem like it is always under construction and in truth it probably is- We are waiting on the Lord. We do the stop and go. We watch the signs and take note. God is always constructing our white gravel road. To not pay attention could be very dangerous. We could become lukewarm Christians and go into the wrong lane out of laziness or the very opposite- become impatience or--------- feel the need to not cause waves BUT that is very dangerous too.

If we look to God, he will always provides the spiritual food (encouragement, understanding, confirmation, supernatural strength) we need to sustain us and do what he has asked of us… as we rest in the popular and in no name towns of life. God has a road especially made for us. We can’t take other people’s roads. We can’t live through someone else’s experiences. God packs a suitcase for just us.

Of course during those times, the bed is a breeding ground of reflection and thought as we try to imagine all the unknown. Our mind can be like a jackhammer working outside our window in the middle of night giving us little or no sleep.

We all have to embark and be obedient to God’s calling. The directions may seem a little short for our comfort zone especially when we take in account of all the personal costs for going in the direction God has asked of us but remember he has prepared the way. He will and is preparing you for that journey and what is to come up in that journey.

So as we go towards our destiny… that seems a little more then hazy…trust God. Take one step in front of the other, breath in and out- and scribble down the “scenery” (reflect on the words and themes that stick out) while letting God fill your footsteps. Then you will not be ashamed in what you leave behind and you will be secure in all your dealings and God’s leading.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he had done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7