Are you open-minded?
"The depth of devotion - without the soul and heart depth crying out of other depths will never be heard." ~ Sir Richard Baker 1568-1645
How many times have you heard someone say that they are open-minded? Or that they or you need to be more open minded? I have always shrugged this off and never given it any thought until now. I am a Christian. I am following the example of Jesus and walking as He walked. One thing I read in the scriptures made me realize one thing about Jesus: He was definitely not open-minded. He was as closed minded as anyone can be.
How open minded would you say this statement is: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except by Me." ~ Jesus. If the liberals, the open minded legions of today were to hear a man say this day and age, they would say that he is not politically correct. There is more than one way to heaven. BUT JESUS SAID THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY: HIM.
Open minded means that a statement is open to debate; that there is truth on all sides to be explored. Closed minded means it is truth and there is no further discussion on the matter. The gospel and the Bible are simple. God made following Him simple. Jesus came and literally showed mankind not only how to follow God in all things but that walking with God and pleasing Him everyday is very much attainable. Jesus made the "God choices" in His life and literally showed us how to do the same. That means that anything that contradicts His way of living, regardless of how good the open minded argument may sound, it is not open to debate. We are closed minded. Jesus is the only way to heaven and the truth of the word should be in the lives of every one who calls themselves a believer.
Closed minded believers say "I must love those that seem to have been born to hurt me and forgive them constantly if necessary." Open minded believers say "I have been hurt and have done all that I can do to get over this but even my therapist says I cannot be whole again."
Closed minds say I strive not only to obey God everyday, but to please Him and be a joy for Him to behold. Open minded believers say holiness and perfect obedience is a good goal to strive for but is totally unattainable since we are all going to sin anyway.
It is popular in many churches to believe that living passionate lives, totally sold out and pursuing holiness and His presence constantly is not obtainable, but not only is it obtainable, it is WHAT JESUS HIMSELF TOLD US TO DO. Through the years, much of the Word has been watered down by people who want to combine their worldly lives with their church life. It isn't the first time. Israel did it many times in the Old Testament. They would live among sinful nations and begin to take on the idolatrous and abominable behavior of the peoples that they lived with. They became a mixture. They were no longer hot, nor had they completely become cold, having forsaken God. They had simply combined their covenant with God with the culture that they lived with and came out with a lukewarm mixture.
Here's the problem. Jesus said in Revelation that He would rather you be hot or cold, but if you are lukewarm, He will spit you out of His mouth. For many years, I could not understand that scripture. One night the Spirit of God spoke to me to explain it. He asked me what happened when I spit. I was silent since I knew He did not ask me this to obtain information for Himself. He continued on saying that when I spit, I remove something from being inside of my body to being outside of my body. He said in like manner, people who are Christians are said to be "in Christ" but if He spits someone, they are being removed from His body. They are no longer "in Christ" but are now outside of His body. God Himself removed them.
How open minded have you become? Have you taken on the characteristics of the society that you live in and excuse your behaviors? If you are doing anything that Jesus would not do, don't deceive yourself. You may be able to find a multitude who will agree that you have reason to live your lukewarm existence, but not one of those people will stand before God with you. This past weekend in church it came to my attention that there is a huge movement in new age mysticism and truth creeping into the church. Oprah Winfrey herself is leading many down a deceptive path of new age, feel spiritual error I have seen in decades. We need to go back to the truths we knew and reject this "new enlightened" teaching that is not new, but it is not the gospel truth.
The world we live in excuses outbursts of anger, rage, un-forgiveness, jealousy, gossip, slander, lying, adultery, and all other manner of ungodly behavior. But be not deceived. GOD WILL NEVER EXCUSE WHAT HE SAYS IN HIS WORD HE WILL JUDGE. Remember that. He loves you so much. He desires that you walk holy before Him everyday of your life. It is your choice. It is your path to walk. It can be the narrow one that excludes the world and all of its ways, or the broad one that includes all the behaviors and customs of the world and is leading to destruction. Someone told a friend of mine, as they tried to excuse the slander against me they were spilling, "Don't tell Michelle any of this. You know she hates it when people talk about her." I was stunned and also grieved. It is NOT that I hate it when people say anything about me, it is that I hate it when people sow discord about anyone; anyone. I don't want to talk about others. I want to talk about God and what He is doing in the lives of others or in other nations. I don't have time to diffuse the anointing God has for me and the fellowship I enjoy with Him.
Do as Jesus advised those that were lukewarm in Revelation. Turn back to Him. Repent. Today if you allow the Holy Spirit to search out your heart and cleanse you from the mixture you have allowed in your life, He will take you into His body, to be "in Christ". Jesus said to be holy as your Father in heaven is holy.
Follow Jesus' example: Close your mind and open your heart.
Michelle Molina
"The depth of devotion - without the soul and heart depth crying out of other depths will never be heard." ~ Sir Richard Baker 1568-1645
How many times have you heard someone say that they are open-minded? Or that they or you need to be more open minded? I have always shrugged this off and never given it any thought until now. I am a Christian. I am following the example of Jesus and walking as He walked. One thing I read in the scriptures made me realize one thing about Jesus: He was definitely not open-minded. He was as closed minded as anyone can be.
How open minded would you say this statement is: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except by Me." ~ Jesus. If the liberals, the open minded legions of today were to hear a man say this day and age, they would say that he is not politically correct. There is more than one way to heaven. BUT JESUS SAID THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY: HIM.
Open minded means that a statement is open to debate; that there is truth on all sides to be explored. Closed minded means it is truth and there is no further discussion on the matter. The gospel and the Bible are simple. God made following Him simple. Jesus came and literally showed mankind not only how to follow God in all things but that walking with God and pleasing Him everyday is very much attainable. Jesus made the "God choices" in His life and literally showed us how to do the same. That means that anything that contradicts His way of living, regardless of how good the open minded argument may sound, it is not open to debate. We are closed minded. Jesus is the only way to heaven and the truth of the word should be in the lives of every one who calls themselves a believer.
Closed minded believers say "I must love those that seem to have been born to hurt me and forgive them constantly if necessary." Open minded believers say "I have been hurt and have done all that I can do to get over this but even my therapist says I cannot be whole again."
Closed minds say I strive not only to obey God everyday, but to please Him and be a joy for Him to behold. Open minded believers say holiness and perfect obedience is a good goal to strive for but is totally unattainable since we are all going to sin anyway.
It is popular in many churches to believe that living passionate lives, totally sold out and pursuing holiness and His presence constantly is not obtainable, but not only is it obtainable, it is WHAT JESUS HIMSELF TOLD US TO DO. Through the years, much of the Word has been watered down by people who want to combine their worldly lives with their church life. It isn't the first time. Israel did it many times in the Old Testament. They would live among sinful nations and begin to take on the idolatrous and abominable behavior of the peoples that they lived with. They became a mixture. They were no longer hot, nor had they completely become cold, having forsaken God. They had simply combined their covenant with God with the culture that they lived with and came out with a lukewarm mixture.
Here's the problem. Jesus said in Revelation that He would rather you be hot or cold, but if you are lukewarm, He will spit you out of His mouth. For many years, I could not understand that scripture. One night the Spirit of God spoke to me to explain it. He asked me what happened when I spit. I was silent since I knew He did not ask me this to obtain information for Himself. He continued on saying that when I spit, I remove something from being inside of my body to being outside of my body. He said in like manner, people who are Christians are said to be "in Christ" but if He spits someone, they are being removed from His body. They are no longer "in Christ" but are now outside of His body. God Himself removed them.
How open minded have you become? Have you taken on the characteristics of the society that you live in and excuse your behaviors? If you are doing anything that Jesus would not do, don't deceive yourself. You may be able to find a multitude who will agree that you have reason to live your lukewarm existence, but not one of those people will stand before God with you. This past weekend in church it came to my attention that there is a huge movement in new age mysticism and truth creeping into the church. Oprah Winfrey herself is leading many down a deceptive path of new age, feel spiritual error I have seen in decades. We need to go back to the truths we knew and reject this "new enlightened" teaching that is not new, but it is not the gospel truth.
The world we live in excuses outbursts of anger, rage, un-forgiveness, jealousy, gossip, slander, lying, adultery, and all other manner of ungodly behavior. But be not deceived. GOD WILL NEVER EXCUSE WHAT HE SAYS IN HIS WORD HE WILL JUDGE. Remember that. He loves you so much. He desires that you walk holy before Him everyday of your life. It is your choice. It is your path to walk. It can be the narrow one that excludes the world and all of its ways, or the broad one that includes all the behaviors and customs of the world and is leading to destruction. Someone told a friend of mine, as they tried to excuse the slander against me they were spilling, "Don't tell Michelle any of this. You know she hates it when people talk about her." I was stunned and also grieved. It is NOT that I hate it when people say anything about me, it is that I hate it when people sow discord about anyone; anyone. I don't want to talk about others. I want to talk about God and what He is doing in the lives of others or in other nations. I don't have time to diffuse the anointing God has for me and the fellowship I enjoy with Him.
Do as Jesus advised those that were lukewarm in Revelation. Turn back to Him. Repent. Today if you allow the Holy Spirit to search out your heart and cleanse you from the mixture you have allowed in your life, He will take you into His body, to be "in Christ". Jesus said to be holy as your Father in heaven is holy.
Follow Jesus' example: Close your mind and open your heart.
Michelle Molina
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