"corrupt communication" - corrupt words. The error of much teaching/preaching simply because of whose feet the words land at.
Think carefully through the following verse, especially noting the words and their correct definitions. There is a very subtle parabolic message hidden to the natural mind.
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Ephesians 4:29
3 or 4 “minds”?
A Saint
(Christian/Believer) has 3 “minds.” With one of them actually having “two
sides,” lending to the idea of having 4 “minds.” CAN YOU NAME THEM?
Without LIVING the New Testament, the Life of a Saint is like going to your favorite restaurant and devouring the menu (re: the Holy Scriptures) -- without taking one bite of the delicious food -- and then walking out thinking you will be satisfied.
By the way, Living the New Testament is the name of one of my next books. Hopefully to be published by the end of 2021, or perhaps early next year (two more are coming first).
Too many Saints miss the Life among the trees for looking at the forest of Christianity from the outside.
Inside we can See and Hear Him...outside we can only see & hear what the enemy is telling us.
Can you diagram God's body in Heaven? Pastor McDowell has...see p. 22 in The Images of God & Man.
Do you know what a Trichotomy is? Ever seen a Scriptural one diagrammed?
Pastor McDowell gives you 14 trichotomies diagrammed in The Images of God & Man. Chapter Two fully explains the trichotomy of God in Heaven, Adam & Eve at Creation, Adam & Eve after the Fall, Christ on Earth, Christ Post Resurrection, Christ back in Heaven, Two Men Today, Today's Sinner, Today's Saint, Saint's Exchanged Life, Saint's Abiding Life, Saint's Grace Life, Saints in Heaven, and Sinners in Hell.
Each shows how the trichotomies yield the spirit, soul, and body functioning...
Go to www.amazon.com/-/e/B083LQXJZ4 to order The Images of God & Man.
"the image of God"...most know of it. Very few know what it really is. Pastor McDowell diagrams & explains God's manifestation of this very important Scriptural phrase from Genesis chapter one in his book, The Images of God & Man.
Go to www.amazon.com/-/e/B083LQXJZ4 to order this eye-opening Truth, and 14 diagrams picturing this image in the different manifestations.
My newest book, Putting the Handcuffs On God, is now available on Amazon. Coming from two shocking passages (Psalm 78:40-41 and Matthew 13:57-58), there are 26 ways in which the Saints of God limit and prevent God from doing many mighty works in our lives,
Discover one or more ways you might be doing these very things. And begin to see God do many MIGHTY works in your life!
Two huge needs of Saints today are...great, accurate, Scriptural diagrams and definitions.
The Images of God & Man is a great source for both, particularly the diagrams. 14 diagrams showing the uncomplicated "images" of God, Jesus, Adam & Eve, sinners, and Saints in the various dispensations give a clear picture leading to a sound understanding of the thinking and actions of each.
Failure to have and be able to use great Scriptural diagrams and definitions lead to an impotent Life in many Saints.
The Image of God (or, any image for that matter) is one of the most parabolic...mystery...statements in all of the Holy Scriptures.
It is imperative to know about and understand what parable/parabolic/parabolism mean, and how they impact all that we read in God's Word.
Chapter 4 in my book, God's Words Bring Life, is a good start at learning about these. In my upcoming book, The Overlooked Fundamentals of Christianity (Fall, 2021), I will give a more detailed look at what they are and their impact in our daily experiences.
All of my books are available on Amazon/KDP.
"my/our inner life" & "my/our heart" - two nebulous, worthless phrases without the correct Scriptural diagram of the Image of God IN Saints. By themselves, they either misdirect a Saint to the natural soul instead of the Holy Soul...or, leave a Saint without knowing Saints have two souls. And which one is a residue of the old soul from the sinner, and which one is a part of the New Creation of a Saint.
Big difference! When anything spiritual speaks to the heart, it depends upon which soul a Saint is functioning in...
To get the correct Spiritual diagram of the Image of God IN Saints, get my book: The Images of God & Man. In print or eBook on Amazon/KDP.
A Scriptural parable is a Heavenly Truth with
a Heavenly meaning. Often the Heavenly Truth is told using a Heavenly story…a story
originating in Heaven and using earthly illustrations as a part of the
story for specific purposes. But, earthly illustrations
always have specific limitations. They are of the finite earth, not the infinite
Heaven.
Many Saints have been misled by sincere and earnest preachers
and teachers giving the definition of: A parable is an earthly story with a
Heavenly meaning. Never mentioning the earthly story or illustrations
aspect of their erroneous definition. CAN YOU SEE how the difference of their
definition misleads and distorts Truth?
AND TO MENTION…Matthew 13:10-17 give us some of
the most important, powerful, foundational fundamental Truth about parables
found anywhere in the whole of Scripture.
And the disciples came,
and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and
said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For
whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore
speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear
not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of
Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and
seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;
lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to
see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things
which ye hear. and have not heard them.
WOW! What a bunch of Spiritual words our Lord
gave forth at the question: Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?
But are you ready for perhaps the most staggering
Truth given us in Matthew 13? Read vs. 34-35…
All these things spake
Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto
them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I
will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world.
WOW! God tells us Jesus never uttered a word to
the multitude except in a parable.
So, what are the Truths in this discourse?
1. Jesus
spoke to the multitudes in parables.
2. Jesus
ONLY spoke to the multitudes IN parables.
3. Parables
can only be heard, seen, understood with the Supernatural Spiritual Ears of
God, the Supernatural Spiritual Eyes of God, and in the Supernatural Spiritual
Mind of God. WHICH ALL SAINTS TODAY ARE BLESSED WITH!
4. At the moment of Matthew chapter 13, even the close disciples of Jesus DID NOT have any of that in #3. (how do we know that? look at v.18 and v.36: Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. v.18
Jesus went on to explain in more detail the very parable He had given in vs.3-9. "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field." v.36
The disciples asked Him to do with the parable of the wheat and tares (that He had told them in vs.24-30) the same as He had done with the first parable…explain it to them. They would not need any explanation IF they had the Ears, Eyes, and Mind mentioned in vs.16-17.
5. (now,
listen!) Is Jesus God? Yes. Was/Is. How much of everything Jesus/God has
written or said is a parable?
· just the things declared to be parables?
·
or, everything...or almost everything?
To answer that last question, let us think about
some things…
· have you ever heard or read the Scripture
and Heard, Seen, and Understood ALL?
· have you ever read, and read, and read verses before that are not identified specifically as parables, and then can see and understand that they have a hidden meaning? A heavenly writing with a Heavenly meaning.
So we can look at all of Scripture and perhaps See that every Word of God is a parable...at least to the natural mind.
This verse is the one that prompted my making note in the margin of my bible back 40 years ago: "Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." Psalm 78:41
In Christianity today there is so much teaching and preaching that encourages us to live in the land of make believe. There are even popular books (actually, most popular…best sellers) that are strictly make believe.
There is no such thing in
God’s Word. We are told by God to Live in the land of BELIEVE.
Not make believe. Believe God. Pure and simple. Period.
If typology doesn’t make
us to believe and trust God more, then it is a form of spiritual gymnology.
Good workout, but still not playing in the game.
All Saints receive the Holy Ghost at:
·
believing God’s record of Jesus Christ
·
trusting in Christ’s payment for sin
·
instantly being Born Again
·
instantly becoming a New Creation, New
Creature
·
instantly possessing God’s Holy Nature/Divine
Nature
…Who IS Holy Ghost with His Holy Soul (hence the
2nd soul in Saints)
·
instantly sealed with God’s Eternal Life
…never again in danger of being a sinner
or, of committing the unpardonable sin
No one is ever the same after hearing the Truth.
It may be temporarily denied, ignored, or forgotten…but we will meet it again.
p.s. for my own edification, I was taught long
ago to always have a pen and notepad with me so I could write down good
thoughts. Thoughts are so fleeting, and sometimes difficult to get back...just
saying.
Soon to be published: Putting
the Handcuffs on God. Will first be available on Amazon, then soon
thereafter on Kindle (eBook form).
Stimulating connections
of actions that Saints can make where the Holy Scriptures say God is limited
in what He can or will do in the life of His people. Limited. Handcuffs
limit. Get the connection?
Surprisingly, I wrote
this title in the margin of my bible while reading Psalm 78 one day.
Check that one out to see if you spot the key verse for the book!
Some will read this book
and be shocked. Some will read it and be mad. Some will read it and be GLAD…to
have issues revealed that have been plaguing them for years. Many years in some
cases.
And each chapter gives
God’s correction and remedy to remove the handcuffs!
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27
Many are aware of this admonition from God. It is a striking warning: neither give place to the devil. I wonder how many Saints ever consider what that means, or how we can do so (besides letting the sun go down on our wrath)?
There is one way that so many Saints have no idea they are giving place to the devil. This is to function in the old mind that is in the residue of the old soul left over from our first birth. That Saints have two souls is known by very few, even though many verses tell of this fact. The problem is the parabolism of Scripture that leaves those not functioning in the Mind of God in no position to See, Know, or Understand Scripture.
It is imperative for Saints to become aware of having the Holy Soul of God as well as the old, natural soul left over at the New Birth. It is imperative for Saints to always be functioning in the Holy Soul of God.
The enemy's work began in Genesis 3:1, "Yea, hath God said...?" All attacks begin at this premise.
If the enemy can't get you to question whether God has said something or not, or just exactly what God has said...or to not believe what God has said...he will change what God has said.
And he has many willing workers today doing just that.
Let me give an example of how Saints fold under the enemy's working...some say, "God understands. He won't mind if I get angry, get a divorce, take it out on the one who hurt me." All this is based on incorrect feelings, and denying God's Words. God has said, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:26-27). And God has said, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:3-12). And God has said, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22).
All of this is why it is so important for Saints to always be functioning in the Supernatural Spiritual Mind of God that we possess (1 Corinthians 2:16). Jesus told us that explicitly in Matthew chapter 13. In fact, Jesus was speaking then of our hearing from God, reading what God has given in His Word, all of the parabolic teaching in the Holy Scriptures. Only Saints in the Mind of God can know and understand what God has said.
The tragedy is that too many Saints don't know they have the Mind of God, or choose to function in the devilish old mind (natural mind, carnal mind - Romans 8:6-7) still present in Saints.
The Grace of God is entirely, wholly, God's Work. All of Him, none of me.
"Lord, I receive Your Grace working in me to _________________."
It’s one thing to read about Truth, hear
about Truth, think about Truth, even report about Truth…it is
quite another to Live Truth. Are you Living Truth? Or, are you trying to
live Truth in the flesh?
