Tag Archives: flawed mindsets

When You Think God is Done With You

Human nature has a way of viewing God like a strict disciplinarian who forbids any moments of having fun. According to the apostle Paul, this flawed mindset is hostile toward God, Romans 8:5-8. This is one of many ungodly beliefs that the father of all lies places into your thought life, John 8:44. Subsequently, when you blatantly since against the Lord in one form or another, you may come to the conclusion that God is done, finished with you. This is how Cain felt after killing his younger brother Abel.

And [the Lord] said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s [shed] blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth [in perpetual exile, a degraded outcast], Genesis 4:10-12.

Besides dealing with the curse placed upon his father Adam in Genesis 3:17-19, Cain was forced to live as a vagabond, spending the remainder of his days on earth in perpetual exile as a social outcast. Surely, God was finished with Cain based upon his reckless act of disobedience to erase the source of his jealousy. However, this isn’t the end of this nightmare. According to Moses, Cain was allowed to marry and have children.

So Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod [wandering], east of Eden. 17 And Cain’s wife [one of Adam’s offspring] became pregnant and bore Enoch; and Cain built a [f]city and named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methusael, and Methusael the father of Lamech, Genesis 4:16-18.

Long the days before King Solomon who had 700 wives and 300 concubines, Cain didn’t need to write a book like Proverbs to warn his first son Enoch of all his careless mistakes of the past. Rather, Cain appears to have raised and taught Enoch to walk with God daily, Genesis 5:20-22. While Cain may have given up on himself, the Lord was not done with this sinner. Cain emulated Proverbs 22:6 before it was ever written. Although Cain wasn’t a perfect father, he must have done something right. Enoch became the first and only human being not to experience death, an ironic ending to the son of a convicted murderer.

by Jay Mankus

Realigning Your Life with Faith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29pNlltk8EI

To align refers to arranging or placing something in a straight line.  For example, every three to five thousand miles, cars experience basic decay known as wear and tear on its’ body.  Fender benders, pot holes and uneven payment will eventually knock a vehicle out of alignment.  When your tire alignment is off, your ability to drive safely is compromised.  Thus, anyone who owns an automobile should schedule regular check ups three to four times a year to ensure a long and prosperous life for this valuable possession.

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God [with faith and humility] like a child will not enter it at all, Luke 18:17.

In the passage above, Jesus refers to a different kind of alignment.  According to a first century doctor, Jesus and his disciples weren’t always on the same page.  Perhaps, these twelve men began to develop their own beliefs, opinions and views about life.  Apparently, exasperating children, treating them like a second class citizens infuriated Jesus.  The disciple’s flawed mindset resulted in a public rebuke.  Whether you are young or old, every day, week and month, Christians need to realign their faith with the word of God, Bible.

For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom [a substitutionary sacrifice to atone] for all, the testimony given at the right and proper time, 1 Timothy 2:5-6.

Instead of visiting a dealership, local garage or your personal mechanic, the apostle Paul reveals where believers need to turn to for a spiritual realignment.  Since there is only one mediator between God and man, the most logical place to begin is with Jesus.  Crying out to God in prayer is the first course of action.  Once your confess your issue or problem at hand, keep in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25, to lead you to the proper biblical advice.  Just as Jesus often realigned his disciples, studying the Bible at home and in a group setting will enable you to realign your own faith.  Use the first day of 2019 as a starting block for this new year.

by Jay Mankus