dickbraswell

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Php 2:5 

That ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled… II Thes 2:2

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2Cor. 10:5

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb12: 1

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.   Heb12:2 

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  Heb12:3 

          In Hebrews chapter 12, the Christian walk is compared to an athletic race.  The crowds are present.  The stadium is full.  The course is before us.  We must win.  We will win.  Second place will not do.  The success of our calling is at stake and nothing short of championship will do.  WE MUST WIN. 

          There are obstacles and hindrances on the track.  There are many opportunities to fail and not finish our course.  There are many distractions along the way.  There are opportunities to quit and accept defeat.  To give in to fatigue or weariness or weakness will cause our opponent to get ahead.  It will cause  us to lose the race.  We were born again to win and WE MUST WIN.

          Every Believer is in this race.  You are in this race.  You will run or you will give up.  You will win or you will lose.  Every believer is on the track… and so is the devil our adversary and opponent. 

Notice:

There is a Great Cloud of Witnesses surrounding us 

          They are watching and they are cheering. They are pulling for us. They have gone before us; they have finished the race and they are winners.  They know what is before us and they know the challenges we will face.  They also know that we can win.  They have won and they know we can win.  They are on our side.  They want us to win.  They are in heaven’s grand stand and they are cheering for us.  They watch and they observe… Our victory is important to them.

We are to lay aside hindrances or weights that will keep us from doing our best

          Runners who win strip off their outer garments in order to lighten their  load so they can use all their energy and strength in running the race.  Anything that will keep us from running fast must be put off.  If it is flab… it has to be taken off.  If it is unnecessary weights… they must be thrown off.  In our spiritual race, if it is a defective mind condition… our mind must be renewed.  In order to be a champion, our mind needs to be convinced that we can win.  It needs to think “I am going to win.”  It needs to believe “Nobody on this track is faster than I am.”  It needs to resolve “I am not stopping until I am number one…” It needs to visualize… “I can see that championship trophy on the shelf in my den…”

We are to Run with Patience        

          We are to run bearing up under every pressure and difficulty.  If we run with patience, then patience is running alongside of us.     Patience is willing to wait for the proper time to “make our move.”  Patience gives us assurance because it is not moved by the immediate.  Patience means that we are assured of victory regardless of how the race appears because God is with us and God never fails.

We are to Look to Jesus as we run

          What the runner focuses on (looks at) will keep him moving directly toward the goal… the finish line.  Distractions will delay the victory and could cause defeat. 

          Jesus is the GOAL and the FINISH LINE.  He is the VICTOR’S CIRCLE.  We stay ahead when we focus on Him.  We will win as long as we LOOK to HIM. 

We are to Consider Him when we get tired and weary and are tempted to quit

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Heb 12:3 

          The Believer’s greatest temptation is to give up and give in.  Fatigue will attack us.  Weariness will want us to slow down, to rest, and even quit.  In times of great stress and trial and crisis… when it seems that all has failed… we are tempted to faint in our minds. 

          The way to fix our mind… our “fainting” mind… our “shaken” mind… our “weary” mind is by “considering Jesus.”   To “consider” is to “think about” and to “ponder”; to “contemplate.”    The next verse (4) tells us that we have not gotten to the point where we actually “shed blood” over our stressed out condition. 

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. Heb 12: 4

When we think about the suffering, the torture, the humiliation Jesus endured, we really have no right to complain.  Or to give out.  Or to give up.  Or to quit. 

What “kind” of mind did Jesus have?

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Php 2:5 

 Jesus knew Who He was   

          He knew why He left heaven.  He knew what He came to earth to accomplish.  There was never any doubt in His mind as to Who He was or what He was here on earth for. He had a single mind.  He knew He was the Son of God.   He knew what He was born to do and His mind was set on accom­plishing His mission. 

          Believers need to know who they are.  What does the Bible say about us?  Who has God made us to be and what have we been birthed into through the Redemptive Work of Jesus?  When we receive a revelation of who we are, we can begin to think like Jesus thinks.  When we think like Jesus we are positioned to do what He did.  Jesus tells us that we are capable of doing “greater works” than even He accomplished. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Joh 14:12 

Check out who the Bible says we are and what the Bible says we can do:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12   

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4:13    

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20  

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matt. 28:18  

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,(by grace ye are saved;) Eph. 2:5    

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Eph. 2:6  

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2Cor. 5:21    

Satan is the father of all liars.  Notice what he will try to do by lying to us:        

• He will cause us to doubt in our mind. 
• He will make us wonder if we are really saved.
• He will tell us that we are so messed up that we can never please God. 
• H will convince us that we are the worse person alive. 
• He will make us feel like a hypocrite. 
• He will cause us to think that all this Holy Ghost stuff is foolishness.
• He will make us consider just how ridiculous it is to speak in tongues and to dance before God and to experience the joy of the Holy Ghost. 
• He will constantly remind us that intelligent people…educated people… cultured people…. well-balanced people… would not be caught dead in a Spirit-Filled Church. 
• He will attempt to make us reason and “think through” this Pentecostalism stuff. 
• He wants you to back off and backslide because he knows that the TRUTH will defeat him. 

The Truthwill make us free.  And the truth is that we are Flesh and Bone and Blood with GOD inside of us.  That is what the Bible says about us.    

Jesus knew His Father

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3  

          He was intimate with Him.  He knew His Will and He knew His heart.  He was in agreement with His Father.  He talked with Him and He loved Him and He had continual fellowship with Him.  Jesus knew His Father. 

What does it mean to “know” God? 

It means much more than religion has taught us.  It means more than most preachers and teachers have told us.  It means more than praying.  It means more than joining a church.  It means more than walking down an aisle and shaking a preacher’s hand.  It means more than being baptized. 

• Knowing God is not knowing about God. 
• Knowing God is not understanding the works of God. 
• Knowing God is not belonging to a church. 
• Knowing God is not being religious. 
• Knowing God is not even being “spiritual.” 
• Knowing God is not being good, kind, sweet or generous. 
• Knowing God is not knowing the Bible. 
• Knowing God is not being holy.
• Knowing God is not being righteous.
• Knowing God is not having a good testimony.
• Knowing God is not being an official in the church.
• Knowing God is not doing good works.
• Knowing God is not praying or giving or being faithful to some church.

          Jesus said that some who think that they KNOW God do not know Him at all.

Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matt. 7:21   

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Matt. 7:22  

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt. 7:23  

          The majority of Christians today are in a superficial and shallow relationship with God.  Charismatics can be in that majority.  Full-Gospel people can be in that majority.  Spiritual people can be in that majority.  Most believers are merely acquainted with God.  Few are deeply intimate with God.   Living with Him in an intimate, close, personal, private, relationship, is knowing God. 

The word know appears 464 times in the Old Testament and 299 times in the New Testament.  In some places it implies a surface relationship and in others it implies a deep, personal, intimate, loving relationship.  Some forms of this word are so intimate that it is used to describe the loving, passionate, Scriptural sexual relationship that is shared between husband and wife in marriage. 

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Phil. 3:10  

          As outstanding as the Apostle Paul was, he had a longing to “know Him.”  He authored more than two-thirds of the New Testament and is considered one of the most educated and dedicated Christians of all time… yet, his heart’s desire was to really know God. 

Jesus knew the Word 

          He knew the Word because He is the Living Word!  He was familiar with God’s plan and purpose for Israel and for the Gentiles.  He knew what God said about Him.  He knew what the Word declared regarding His death, burial and resurrection.  He was no doubter.  He was a believer.  He knew the Word.  Jesus spoke the Word.  Jesus thought the Word.  Jesus used the Word as a weapon against the devil.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. Hebr. 10:35  

          Jesus had confidence in the Word.  He trusted in the Word.  He relied on the Word.  He depended on the Word.

          Jesus released the Word from His heart of faith and when He did miracles hap­pened.  The sick were healed.  The blind received their sight.  The lame walked.  Those who were demon pos­sessed were set free.  The powers of na­ture obeyed the Word that Jesus spoke.  Jesus knew the Word. 

Jesus knew what He could do

          He was certain and sure of His author­ity.  Jesus knew He had power over all the power of the enemy.  He never doubted what He could do and He was not afraid to do it.  Jesus knew what He could do and He knew the limitations of the devil.  He knew about spiritual warfare and He knew He could win every conflict and conquer every de­mon. 

Jesus had a winning mental­ity 

          He had no fear.  In His mind, He never considered defeat.  He never gave in to worry or fear or anxiety.  Even in the times of great con­tradictions, He maintained His win­ning mentality.  Even before and dur­ing the crucifixion, He never conceded to defeat.  He exercised victory over death by willingly giving up the spirit of life.

 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Luke 23:46    

 No man taketh it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I re­ceived of my Father. John 10:18 

Jesus had Faith

He lived by Faith and He walked by Faith. 

He used His faith to pay His taxes. 

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.   Matt. 17:27   

          He used His Faith to stop a storm. 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  Mark 4:39   

           He used His Faith to see what was not and to call things that were not as though they were.  Jesus had a mind that was filled with the Word.

          He used His faith to raise the dead.  

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.   John 11:44   And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. John 11:43  

          He used His faith to heal the sick: 

And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. Matt. 8:14   

And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

Matt. 8:15  

When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: Matt. 8:16  

He used His Faith to cast out devils:

 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. Mark 9:25  

And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. Mark 5:12

And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. Mark 5:13  

          How amazing that the Bible tells us to have the mind of Christ!  Even more amazing is the fact that you and I can literally have His mind!  The acquisition of this kind of mind is really up to us… it is our responsibility. 

          Notice Paul says “Let” this mind be in you….  The understood subject of this statement is “you.”  Because only “you” can “let” it happen.  It is a command.  It is a possibility.  It is an imperative… if we are to succeed in living and not dying.

Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized

This entry was posted on October 28, 2021 at 8:49 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.