God Speaks-1

Does God speak to us? The first reference in the Bible. Gen.1:6,9. This reveals the fact that God exists and has personality. Only a living being can speak and communicate.

God speaks to man, Gen 3:9-10. God establishes a two way communication with man (prayer does that).

God speaks to Abraham, Gen12.:1-4. God speaks to Moses, to lead His people out of slavery, Ex.3:6-8.

God speaks to His people to establish a Covenant with them, Ex.20:1-3.

God speaks again to His people through the Prophets to pull them out of idolatry. Hag.1:1-4, and then God stopped speaking to His people for 400 years, but He did not abandom them. Finally. God spoke again through His Son to establish a New Covenant, Heb.1:1-2. 

God speaks now on a higher level through the Holy Spirit to His Church, Acts13:1-3. 

The New Testament closes with the book of the Revelation, Christ's message to His Church, Rev.1-3.

Has God stopped speaking? No, Heb.3:1-5. God still speaks to us, when we are ready to listen, Heb.13:8.

We need to develop spiritual hearing, When we hear God speak, then we know He is alive and He hears us. 

The   mind-2

The mind is related to the heart. It represents our thought life, that which comes out of the heart. When we come to Christ, the mind needs a radical change to conform to the life of Christ, Eph.4:17-24. 

There are two minds.

1.There is the old mind (natural).

a. It is a rebrobate mind, Rom.1:28.

b. It is a carnal mind, Rom.8:7.

c. It is a vain mind, Eph. 4:17.

d. It is a puffed up mind, Col.2:18.

e. It is defiled, Tit.1:15.

f. It is corrupt, Tim.6:5.

g. It minds earthly things, Phil, 3:19.

h.It minds things of the flesh, Rom.8:5.

i. It is blinded, 2 Cor.4:4.

This kind of mind leads to everlasting death / hell.

For this kind of mind to be renewed it has to be surrended to the Cross and receive the mind of Christ.

2.The new mind, the mind of Christ, Phil.2:5.

Christ yielded himself to God, though He was equal  with God. He had a humble mind.

We yield our minds to the Lord, His mental life comes into our own and displaces our old

thoughts, and they are destroyed.

1 Cor. 2:16, We have the mind of Christ, the thinking of Christ.

The new mind must be kept holy by the power of His Word, Phil.4:8.

The new mind will have to be nourished if  it is is to be kept in Christ, Jer.15:16.

The new mind will have a new attitude - stayed upon God, difficult though it is by Satan's

onslought, Ps.119:165.

Defend the new mind, Heb.12:3

The Mind-1

What is it? The part of our being that controls our thought life and governs our actions (not brain).

Control of the mind is vital if a life is to be governed by God or Satan. It is the means that helps us to communicate. It belongs to the sphere of the soul.

When we are outside Christ our minds are unregenerate and need change, Col.1:21.

The end result of this state is death,Rom.8:6.

At repentance and rebirth our minds do not change automatically. We need transformation and renewal,

Rom.12:2.

How is it done? By submitting to the authority and leading of the Holy Spirit. By obedience that brings change, Rom 8:14.

By applying God's Word renewal is brought about to the mind, 1 Cor.2:16. Christ's thoughts enter our minds and become our thoughts. We change to conform to His character and be like Him, Phil.2:5.

However, we need to maintain this kind of mind,if it is to be kept pure, Phil.4:8-9.

We need to protect our minds. There is a daily assault upon our minds from Satan and the world, so we need to guard them, Phil.4:7.

A healthy mind is one that rests on God'd Word and puts its trust in Him, Is.26.:3-4.

The cleansing and renewal of the mind is a daily process and way of life, Eph.4:20-24.

God has provided protection for our minds, Ep.6:17.

Divine Guidance

A difficult subject that can cause confusion and error in the life of believers.

Does God guide us? What does the Bible say? God has not left us alone to wander along the way, but provided means to guide us in right paths.

How are people guided generally?

1.By what others do

2,By chance happenings

3. By supestitious beliefs

4.By impulses

5.By convenience

6.By God

7.By circumstances.

God's guidance is given under certain conditions that we need to observe.

There are two vital elenents involved.

a. The Word of God.

b. The Holy Spirit.

For Guidance  to operate the believer must seek God's will: Gen.24:47-48.

There is conscious guidance and unconscious guidance (we walk by faith)

Paul the Apostle was sensitive to the Spirit's leading: so must we Acts 16:6-10.

For guidance to be received certain conditions must exist:

1.No preconceived plan or bias.

2. No divided heart, James 1:8.

3.Faith in Him who guides even thought we face the uncertain, Heb. 11:6.

4. No hidden sin or disobedience in the heart, Ps.66:18.

What sort of people are guided by God? Ps.25:8-9.

Guidance is an integral part of the believer's life in God, and the new life in Christ. Rom.8:14-15.

'As many as are led by.....'