Your Thinking Has Changed

"There comes a time when your thinking has changed."

“ …nor do you have his methods in your hearts, because your minds are so in tune with Satan that the revelation I have brought about the Father is rejected as faulty.” (John 5:38, Remedy)

THERE COMES a time when your thinking has changed. Here, Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and other religious men. Their thinking was so much like Satan that murdering a man who said what they disliked had become acceptable. The Law included arrest and conviction for murder of men who’d done crimes, and some seem tough to us today, but it was never intended to be used as a way to express anger and retribution. It is justice written by God, so it is completely fair, holy, and righteous. He cannot be un-fair, nor does He use evil to “get back at” people or supernatural beings. Any intimation of this from anyone is incorrect. James 1:13. These men had hard hearts, an expression meaning exactly what the verse in the Remedy translation explains.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” (James 1:13)

We see this attitude all the time in the news and in situations surrounding us. There are those who have firmly rejected Jesus. Yet no heart is too hard that God cannot save. No one is turned away too far for Him to reach them. Singers Ben Fuller and Stephen McWhirter, Minister Todd White were lost to addiction for many years when they found Jesus. Both Ben Fuller and Todd White came face-to-face with death. This altered their thinking, but it was Jesus in them, at last, which healed them completely. As Ben Fuller said, You simply can’t get over addiction on your own (my paraphrase). Minister Todd White was shot at in a drug conflict yet not one bullet hit him. I have also shared the story of Asian gang member, Chobi, who survived multiple almost-deaths within a few days, and now is an advocate of the Gospel. Being frank, I have nothing in common with these men. Or I HAD nothing in common, but now we are part of Christ. They are sons of Almighty God, and I am a daughter. “When we all get to heaven,” maybe I’ll cross paths. I imagine we’ll see many there who we do not expect. For God is merciful.

My words here are as much against judgment for their appearances and any person’s personal appearance choices, as they are to make you realize a hard heart is serious. It comes from continued meditation. When we think about something, on repetition, our thinking becomes fixed on it as truth. This does not make it Truth. Only God speaks Truth, but we are deceived into believing it is true.

Here, I must stick in a word from God on condemnation. You will notice I never call people out on wrong behavior nor seek to judge another for wrong doctrine. God loves all men and women regardless of their wrong ideas. If a man chooses an idea which is not strictly scriptural, perhaps he does not believe in speaking in tongues, God will not abandon them, and I am not here to convict them. I heard prayer incorrectly taught recently. I mention this example not because it was taught incorrectly and I condemn the speaker. I pray for him to have revelation of it. Instead, what he said condemned people for “not knowing how to pray.” I’ve mentioned this, as well, but God hears all prayers, all conversations, for that matter. He hears those spoken by the Jews at the Wailing Wall. He hears those prayed to a statue of Buddha. He hears cries for help from the depths of nations which forbid the mention of Him. And He works to bring Truth, to give revelation of Him. Again, He is merciful.

Which is the heart of this post. A hard heart is not a heart past salvation. It IS a heart at the edge of hell. Those men who desired to kill Jesus included the apostle Paul, then Saul. They included Caiaphas who prophesied of the manner of Jesus’ death. These are the words of John 11:50-51. They included Nicodemus who judged Jesus unfairly then defended Him and anointed Him for burial. Acts 15:5 tells us certain Pharisees believed.

Judas’ hard heart caused his suicide. He could not be rescued.

The one with a hard heart doesn’t see it is hard. First, revelation must come that the thinking is wrong and the heart closed to Truth, then knowing this, healing comes from God. And the one whose heart has changed must commit to meditation, continued perusal, of the Word. For from it, comes a clean mind, filled with God’s Truth, and a beautiful life, free of the works of darkness. This is why Jesus came. To save the heart, yes. But to change the mind and destroy all the works of Satan (1 John 3:8).

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

“Do not make the pursuit of food that feeds the body your main objective in life, but instead pursue as your main objective the food that heals and restores the mind and results in eternal life. I, the Son of Man, am the source of the food that heals the mind and brings life eternal. I am the source of truth that refutes the lies of Satan and reveals God’s true character. Because of this, God the Father has placed his seal of approval on me.” (John 6:27, Remedy)

Image by Meranda D from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com