The New, Old Meaning of 1 Peter 4:1

          Not too long ago I was searching through the scriptures using a very interesting computer program, the Interlinear Scripture Analyzer, which I had downloaded. There are lots of interesting things to be seen in the scriptures when you can better understand the original writings but I just want to draw your attention to one particular verse, I Peter 4:1, which says “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (AV). It took on a very different meaning for me when I looked at the most literal word for word translation of this verse which reads “Christ, then, emotioning for our sakes in flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same thought, for he who is emotioning in flesh has ceased his sins.”

The verse after this explains, in very simple language, what that thought is, but I won’t put it here for the sake of making you read your Bible more:) However, I’d like to point out that a single thought is a much simpler thing to wrap one’s comprehension around than an entire mind (multiple thoughts, feelings, perspectives, etc.).

The word “emotioning” is also noteworthy, not only because "emotion" carries a very different meaning than "suffer" but also because it is used here in a verb form – as something someone does rather than simply observing. Taking deliberate action concerning one’s emotions would inevitably involve some sort of sacrifice (i.e. pain) but also require oneself to be present and alive rather than having one’s thoughts stuck in the past or the future, full of fear and worry, or pure fantasy. This adds incredible poignant depth to what would otherwise be a somewhat morose phrase.

As you can imagine, I’ve had some fun searching through at least a few scriptures using the Interlinear Scripture Analyzer. Perhaps you who read this will be able to get something out of it as well. Until next time, God bless you all!

A Lesson in Subjectivity

Lately I have seen certain questions raised concerning good and evil, truth and lies, life and death, and free will. While I don’t plan on going into great detail on everything I have ever experienced with such things, I will share a few of my thoughts.

            Free will is often an issue for my own mental self-conjecture, concerning who has it and how it works. On the face of it, I’ve always thought of free will as the ability to choose to live my life as I see fit. Beings such as angels and evil spirits, or demons if you prefer, simply do what they were made to do and, in that manner of thinking, it makes sense to say that they do not possess free will. However, having a deeper understanding about the corrupt nature we all inherit from Adam, I know that angels and evil spirits do not have the internal conflict we all know too well: when we want to do one thing and end up doing another, through no fault of our external circumstances. If we truly had the ability to choose to live our lives as we see fit, then we would do exactly that, every single time without any difficulty or regret, and I know that is not the case. In this sense, angels and evil spirits, devoid of such an internal struggle, have free will, the ability to do what they know to do, however confined it may be to the purpose for which they were created. The only way I know of to rid ourselves of our internal conflict is to submit ourselves to God. From my own experiences with Him working in my life, I know that God never asks me to change and be someone I don’t want to be, but rather that I allow His Spirit to bring the real me to life and become the perfect version of myself.

            Concerning good and evil, I know that many people think that there is some sort of battle going on between God and the Devil, and between angels and demons, but I’ve learned that this is false. I’ve been taught and studied that the only thing that is against God is our own corrupt way of thinking and feeling, what the Bible calls the carnal mind. Concerning what the Bible says about the Devil and evil spirits, every account agrees with the fact they are subject to God: what He says to do, they do, and what He says they can’t do, they don’t. A lot of people have heard stories, of course, about someone being tormented by some sort of evil spirit. The only way to be untouchable is to be under the mantle of Christ. The Bible actually uses the language of being “in” Christ, and it makes sense that a person living in Christ can’t be haunted by demons because they are subject to God’s Spirit. Some may have a problem wrapping their head around the truth that evil spirits are subject to God because God is love, light, and life. Just remember that the Lord Himself placed the tree of knowledge of good AND EVIL in the very Garden of Eden at the beginning of the world. It has been the sinful actions of mankind that has led to the wide spread of spiritual evil in the world.

            The carnal mind is something else entirely. First we should be clear; a mind is a way of thinking, consciously and subconsciously, about everything we experience and do. The carnal mind is what the Bible calls the corrupted, iniquitous way of thinking we inherited from Adam which causes us to sin. It is because of sin that people die, according to the Bible. The son of God came down to Earth, however, that we might have life; he showed us by example and through his teachings how we can have the mind of Christ, the way of thinking that leads us to life as well as all the things that make a life worth living: love, joy, peace, boldness, wisdom, etc.

The language of the Bible can, at times, be obscure, even self-contradictory, and requires personal time spent studying it to decipher the truth of it. Specifically, when Jesus spoke of denying yourself, picking up your cross, and following him, he was actually referring to this matter of the mind of Christ: leaving the carnal mind, having instead the mind of Christ, and allowing that mind to operate in you, producing the same kind of life Jesus had. Other phrases found in the Bible such as “reckon yourself dead” and “I die daily” may be hard to fully comprehend because it’s hard, understandably, to take them literally. I myself like to think that the word “reckon,” in this instance, means the same thing as the word recognize, and the “self” you need to recognize as being dead is the version of you created by the carnal mind. However, a new way of thinking is something that no one can simply completely adopt anew just because they were able to recognize the truth once; it has to be made a habit, which explains the need to do it on a daily basis. We need to practice having our thoughts made subject unto God. That might sound complicated or obscure, but the true reality of this behavior is not for the physical brain of a person to understand, it is for the spiritual thinking. On the surface it looks something like this: you have a thought, you know how you would act on this thought, you know why you would act this way, you recognize if this action will actually bring you closer to what you want, if it brings you good or evil, if it would bring you good you do it, and if it would bring you evil you choose to think and act differently. I know that it doesn’t always seem so simple but it is, and when it happens you will feel a softness in your spirit and a clarity in your thoughts.

The key to all of this is being subject to God. If you can make that sole decision, the rest is much easier, even if being diligently self-analytical is not one of your strengths. Pray for God to reveal to you the parts of your heart where darkness resides, to open your mind’s eye to the truth, and to establish you in the truth. Do this and God will give you faith, the spiritual “substance” of a righteous life. Think of faith as energy with which you can finally do all those things that the carnal mind said were impossible and have the life God wants for you, a life full of love, joy, peace, and success in every area.

That’s all I had for now, but I hope whoever reads this will get something edifying out of it. God bless you!

A Quick Summary of Pastor Mark Gungor’s Relational Physics from “A Tale of Two Brains”

Even though he is a Pastor, Mark Gungor says these rules of relational physics affect everybody whether you believe in God or not – rather like the laws of physics in nature. And if you are perhaps experiencing trouble in your relationships, it’s probably because you’re breaking one or more of these rules. It’s also likely that the other person in your relationship – whatever sort it might be – is breaking the rules right along with you. Mark separates these rules into typical Men vs. Women stereotypes, because no two groups of people have such a strong tendency to think so radically different from each other – and in rather specific ways – than men and women. If these rules don’t apply to you exactly, don’t have a fit, just interpolate for yourself. These rules don’t go into all the shades of gray.

           

Rule 1 – Boxes and the Big Ball o’ Wire

                        Men – Their brains are made up of little boxes, there’s a box for every conceivable subject, and the boxes DON’T TOUCH EACH OTHER.

                        Women – Their brains are made up of a big ball of wire which connects everything to everything, and it’s all driven by the energy we call emotion. Important Note: If you ever tell a person with this kind of brain that their feelings IN ANY WAY don’t matter, you are a nitwit who wishes to be stabbed.

            Rule 2 – Stress

                        Men – Men have a box in their brains with nothing in it. Appropriately, it is called the “Nothing Box,” and it is where a man goes any time he has a chance, especially if he is stressed out. This is how a man can do something seemingly completely brain-dead for hours on end, like fishing or mindless channel surfing on the TV.

                        Women – Women need to talk about whatever stresses them out – they don’t have a “Nothing Box” nor can they ever understand it the way a guy can. If a woman doesn’t talk about her stress, her brain will literally explode. If you happen to be the one this woman needs to talk to, it is important that you just shut up and listen. She doesn’t want your help or your advice, no matter how good you think it would be.

            Important Note: Men and women often try to offer to each other their own solutions to stress, but if you know someone who has the typical “man brain” and can sense that they’re stressed out, just let them go to their nothing box – and don’t try following them. Likewise if you know someone with the typical “woman brain” who is stressed, let them talk to you as you sit down, shut up, and listen.

            Rule 3 – Remembering Details

                        Men – With as much time as men like to spend in the nothing box – not feeling or thinking about anything – men don’t really hang on to a lot of details, and when they tell a story or, for example, recount what the plumber said, it is usually just the bottom line.

                        Women – As women’s brains are driven so much by emotion, they have a strong tendency to remember EVERYTHING, and when they tell a story of, say, something that happened at work today, they don’t just say what happened, the relive the entire event, practically transporting you into their experience.

            Rule 4 – Single-tasking and Multi-tasking (Communication)

                        Men – Men are single-taskers; they can focus well on one thing and do that one thing extremely well, but it shuts down their brain to any other tasks, including to the task of listening. If you see a man doing something, unless you know he’s wired differently, you can assume that he cannot hear anything going on around him.

                        Women – The typical woman is a master of multi-tasking; capable of holding three different conversations, watching TV, cooking dinner, and reading a book, all at the same time. Important Note: Many women automatically make the assumption that multi-tasking comes as easily to anyone else, including men, as it does to them. Remember, that if you have vital information to give to someone, to make sure first that they are listening.

            Rule 5 – Sex and the Heart Connection

                        Men – Typically men are much more interested in sex than women. And they are not actually driven in this area so much by their brains, or by their hearts, but by the chemical testosterone. This little hormone running in their blood drives them crazy.

                        Women – Women are much more interested in connecting with others, especially their husband if they’re married, on a deep meaningful level.

                        Important Note: It is not accurate to think that typical women are not interested in sex, or that a typical guy has no interest in touching another person’s heart. It’s simply an order of priority. The best example of this working well is in a marriage relationship, where both the husband and wife recognize what their partner wants and, in giving that thing to them, open the door to obtaining what they themselves want from their partner and both end up very satisfied and connected to each other in a very meaningful way.

            Rule 6 – Giving and Taking

                        Men – They love to take. They compete-taking, do business-taking, etc. Taking is a man’s default mode. Men need to learn how to give to have more success in their relationships with the women-brained. Women especially love unexpected kindnesses.

                        Women – They love to give. Women often think that they can inspire a man to give rather than just take, by simply giving more, because women love to give; that is their preferred course of action. They need to learn how to take, in their relationships. Important Note: Mark Gungor places much more emphasis on WOMEN needing to learn about this, about putting conditions in place in your relationships, and he even gives a few tips for how to get a man to do stuff for you.

1. Ask him more than once. 

2. Don’t try to use insult as a way to motivate him. 

3. Train him with positive reinforcement. (Appreciation) 

4. Barter with him.

            Rule 7 – Self-Esteem

                        Men – They tend to think quite highly of themselves. It isn’t hard for your typical man to see what other people may find pleasing about him.

                        Women – They tend to suffer from lowered self-esteem. This applies primarily to North-American, Caucasian women. Important Note: Remember that the single most attractive quality that a woman – or anyone – can possess is confidence; it’s not about how tall, short, fat, skinny, dark, pale, oily, or whatever it is you may think you are.

            Rule 8 – Themes

                        Men – There’s something in the hearts of ALL men that lights up at the idea of overcoming obstacles, conquering the adversary, and living your dreams – the more dangerous or risky, the better. (It wasn’t a woman who invented football)

                        Women – Women love – you’ll see this in chick-flicks – to connect the “wires,” to nurture the relationships, and to touch the hearts of people.

            Important Note: There is one theme that manifests itself in both the hearts of men and women: “the hero always goes back for the girl.” This means not only the obvious – that women like to be swept off their feet – but also that men have a god-given responsibility, or calling, or role, or however you wish to phrase it, to always remember at the end of the day – or anytime really – to return for their wife, children, or whatever other loved ones he might have because all the guts, gold, and glory in the world means nothing without them.

Additional Rules from Mark Gungor’s “How to Stay Together and Not Kill Anybody”:

Extra Rule 1 – Avoid Bitterness and Resentment (Keeping Score)

            Men – Men like giving themselves huge bonus points for everything they do. Which is why, at the end of the day, a man has no problem coming home from work, which is worth about 2000 points, and then doing nothing helpful, because all those small things, washing dishes, picking up after the kids, doing the laundry, etc. don’t mean anything to him.

            Women – Women score any act of goodness or kindness, big or small, with a single point. Going to work and earning a pay check is worth a single point, as is planning a special evening out, as is buying her a single rose, as is making the bed in the morning.

How a Man Can Score Big With a Woman – Focus on doing a bunch of small things for her, engage her in meaningful conversation – whatever she wants to talk about, and, whenever you plan something big and special, tell her ahead of time what you’re planning – never try to surprise a woman!

How a Woman Can Score Big With a Man – You need to be his biggest fan. To the inexperienced, this may sound quite simple, but that’s just because you don’t yet know how many erroneously stupid ideas a man can come up with; this is something you’ll have to work at. And there is no bigger fan a man should have than his wife.

Extra Rule 2 – Keep the Reset Button Handy (Forgiveness)

            If the score becomes unbalanced, you might just have to let it go. Nobody’s perfect, so this happens often in relationships and you better be sure you know how to forgive others. Forgiveness, if you didn’t know, is an act, it is not an emotion nor is it an instant erasure of your memory. Simply put, you must choose to never again speak of whatever transgressions others have committed against you and to never again use it against them. Sometimes it helps to set up a special signal, something specific you can do or say that will let someone know that they’ve been officially pardoned. Any emotional damage that’s been done however will still need to be worked on if you want your relationship to fully recover.

Hopefully, you’ve found this to be helpful; I wish everyone the best for whatever relationships you may be in. God bless you!

Lack No Cause for Concern

We all have something in our lives, something of which we know we need more. Ask anyone and I’m sure they’ll be able to tell you all about what they need and want more in their lives. I know I’m no different; I need more motivation; I need more self-discipline; I need more positive thinking, etc. But focusing on my lacks, my insufficiencies, has never gotten me anywhere and has never made me a happier, more productive person. My pastor could probably testify to that fact with no problem... but he would most likely regale you with many of my finest features as well. And THAT’s what I want to talk about here.

Do you know the story about the widow woman who, during a time of drought, had only one handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse to feed herself and her son? It is found in 1Kings Ch. 17. Elijah came to her as he was commanded by the Lord to do, and she fed him from her meager remaining reserves. God blessed her for giving what she had, even if it was only a little, and her barrel and cruse were never empty. Quite mysteriously, there was always one handful of meal left in the barrel and a little oil remaining in the cruse for the widow woman to make bread, and this miracle lasted until the drought was over and God brought the rain.

The Bible uses vessels to symbolically represent people – in fact, I can’t think of a single time it doesn’t. In this particular story, there was only ever a handful of meal left in the barrel and a little oil remaining in the cruse, but it was always there, ready to be made into dinner. I find that this represents me very well. I often don’t feel like I have much to offer, but the truth of the matter is that as long as I know God has blessed it – and I do know that I possess undeniably God-given talents – then I can rest assured that every single day I will be able to “make my cake and eat it too,” no matter how meager it may seem to the natural eye.

One of the most fundamental lessons in the Bible is committing your thoughts to good things, as it says to do in Philippians 4:8. Too often, a person, especially a person as prone to melancholy as I am, can get distracted by all that emptiness/nothingness in their “barrel,” and forget that what they do have is quite adequate. There is also a lot of contention that arises when people start thinking things like “Why can’t I be more like that person?” or “Why can’t that person be more like me?” The very simple reason is that they’re not you; every person is different. The Bible refers to there being many different kinds of vessels: there are vessels made of gold, silver, wood, or clay, vessels that contain flour, grain, oil, olives, cashews, raisins, chocolate chips, or mini-marshmallows. And there are just as many different kinds of people as there are different kinds of vessels, probably more. It is vital to remember what you have, rather than focusing on what you don’t, and also to not condemn others for not having the same things that you have. That’s what God made when He made us, and God doesn’t make mistakes.

Remember to train yourself – and others, if such is your burden – with positive reinforcement. The Bible gives this lesson, in a few different places, to not give “evil for evil” which means, in more technical terms, “positive punishment” the definition of which is awarding wrong behavior with a punishment to discourage it from happening again – it is often confused with “negative reinforcement.” We, as humans, often feel we have the right to wrong someone who has wronged us, to punish those who do not do as we want, and to scorn or judge those who make mistakes and fail. This could not be further from the truth. Now, obviously, people still need to be taught that there are negative consequences for their misbehavior, but even in this, the way we need to approach such discipline is through love. Fear is a powerful motivator and it is fear in which a person lives that has been taught through “positive punishment.” But fear only motivates people to be their worst, depending on what they’ve been trained to fear. Love is also a motivator, a much more powerful one. Love is, in fact, the opposite of fear. And as fear motivates people to run from their problems, and hide, and sin in secret, love motivates people to live life to the fullest: happy, productive, honest, considerate, bold, and hopeful.

So if you think that you can only accomplish a small amount today, don’t underestimate yourself, and if you think you should have done more, pray for God to help you tomorrow and don’t beat yourself up. The simplest and surprisingly easiest thing to do to solve such dilemmas is to learn to love yourself and others. Loving others is especially effective because what goes around comes around; you reap what you sow; for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

One last thing; some people have a hard time communicating what they feel to others – I know I really struggle with this one – since too often what we feel seems very negative, but emotions are an integral part of human relationships as well as this thing we call love, obviously. However hard it may seem, you need to know how a person – even your own self – feels if you are going to love them properly, because all people are different, remember. So even if it requires dragging it out of someone, never not know how they feel. Then you can reward their honesty – remember “positive reinforcement” – and your relationship will grow stronger. The vast majority of true happiness and productivity hinges directly on relationships, so don’t neglect them.

Well, that’s all I wanted to say. I hope you were able to get something useful out of that. If you weren’t, you could try reading it again. Nevertheless, God bless.