Mindsets

The Lord first spoke the word “mindset” to me several years ago.  (I wrote this 'note' in 2012)

A friend had died of sickness.  We had gone to the hospital to pray for her and I had seen the light of Jesus shine on her and bring wholeness.  I had spoken the things I saw in the Spirit over her.  She felt heat. Others had come and prayed for her, spending hours worshiping in her room. She was recovering.  

Then I got a call two days later that she’d gone home to be with the Lord.  I asked God, “Why?”  And He said, “mindsets.”

In the last few years, God’s been talking to me about this a lot. The free online dictionary defines a mindset as: 

1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations.

2. An inclination or a habit.

I googled “mindsets” and found out that there’s a book out called, “Mindset” by psychologist Carol Dweck.  Here’s an excerpt from it. 

 “For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.  It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you commit to and accomplish the things you value.  How does this happen?  How can a simple belief have the power to transform your psychology and, as a result, your life?“

Now I don’t like psychology for a very simple reason.   It does not acknowledge that man is a spiritual being that needs salvation.  It is ‘humanism’ at its worse; man trying to fix himself without Jesus.   And once again, I’m sure this book will tell us how to fix our thinking through positive affirmations.  But this understanding of our thinking is profound.

The online dictionary also talks about “collective mindsets.”  A story is told that in 1974, psychologists were trying to reorient the American Indians to have ”correct goals” such as a house and a full bank account.  But their historical viewpoint of success was so different that it was impossible to get them to think ‘correctly.’ 

The term ‘apostle’, which we see in scripture, is a secular term that was first used in Roman/Greek culture.  The Romans were conquering vast territories and claiming them as part of the Roman Empire.  But when the conquerors  would return to these regions, they found that the culture of the original country had not changed.  The people were not becoming “Romans.”  So they left ‘apostles’ in the area to change the culture!  These people were to be an influence and infiltrate the culture with Roman/Greek thinking! http://www.impactnetwork.net/pdf/apostle.pdf   They were sent out to these regions to transform the culture!

This is the reference point that Paul would have been using when writing.  He was charging us to be apostles to this world.  We have been ‘sent out’ by Christ to affect our culture, to change men’s  thinking, to tell the world that there is access to God through Jesus Christ.  But instead, many of us have been indoctrinated into the world’s thinking.  We are salt that has lost its ‘saltiness.’   Salt is a natural preservative that people used to keep their meat from spoiling.  Jesus wants us to be salt and light to this world.

We say more with our actions than we say with our words.  Especially when we are parents, we have a huge influence on the mindsets of our children.  If we eat dinner together every night and then spend time as a family in God’s Word and in prayer, we are establishing a truth in our children; that we cannot go a day without the Word of God; that we value the principles of God’s Word; that God is our first priority.

If our children see us up every morning before they are, praying and seeking God, it sends a message.  If our Bible is always open and we know what it says, and we quote it, it sends a message.   If the first thing we do when our children are sick is to lay hands on them and pray, we establish that we believe God’s Word regarding healing.  It becomes established in them that God heals.  They begin to experience healing through faith and when they are sick again, they do what works; pray, repent of sin and receive healing.

Our culture and society has an understood "truth."  When you are sick, you go to a doctor.  Medicine heals you.  Some things cannot be healed; they are chronic or worse yet, terminal.  Some pharmaceuticals will help the symptoms but you will always be sick.  When medication causes negative side effects, you can take another medication to get rid of that side effect.  Everyone needs health insurance.  Getting sick without health insurance might mean that you could be refused medical care.  If you are given medical care without insurance, your bills could destroy your finances.  Doctors have the final authority on your health.

This becomes a deep routed fear in people.  It becomes a mindset. 

Many times believers in Christ believe that they have right thinking based on truth because they believe Jesus is the Son of God Who died for their sins never realizing that they are still believing lies from the enemy in every area of their lives.  They have deep routed mindsets well established from their childhood.

Then consider the ‘collective mindset.’  Nothing reassures us that we are ‘right’ better than having a group that agrees with us.  We find comfort in that; that everyone thinks like we do.  We pass this thinking down from generation to generation; from church to church.

Jesus talks about mankind as ‘sheep that need a shepherd.’  Without a shepherd, sheep don’t know where to go or what to think.  They are known for flocking together and not separating from their flock.  It is very hard for us to think independently and risk the rejection of others.  We are much more comfortable getting into the center of a group of like believers and hiding there;  approved of and accepted.

When Jesus was on the earth, He spoke the most harshly to the religious of that day: the Pharisees.  The Pharisees religiously observed the Sabbath, they tithed and fasted and prayed.   But Jesus condemned them saying that unless we become more righteous than they, we will not see the Kingdom of Heaven.  He called them hypocrites and told them that they invalidated the Word of God by their traditions; teaching their own traditions as the doctrines of God. (Matthew 15)

A few years ago, I heard about Heidi and Rolland Baker’s ministry in Mozambique, Africa. www.irisministries.com   At that time, it was reported that they had raised over 70 people from the dead.  Heidi was going into the villages there and calling the people to come and hear about Jesus.  She was especially having success in the deaf receiving  hearing  and I always think it’s so wonderful that the first thing these people heard was the Name of Jesus!

When I first heard about this, my mind sort of did a little overload –“ What?!  Over 70 people raised from the dead?!”  I could not comprehend this!  As the years have progressed, I’ve listened to her on line.  In one session, she was speaking to a large group of pastors in Africa.  She asked them how many of them had raised people from the dead and every single one of them raised their hand!

One pastor told the story of a woman who was the people’s leader in witchcraft.  She died and the Lord told him to go raise her from the dead.  He didn’t want to -LOL.  When he obeyed, the woman came to life praising Jesus and now serves Him with all her heart.  Many of the villagers have committed their lives to Christ because of her testimony and the transformation God has done in her life!

Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, and the author of, “When Heaven Invades Earth” says that when we share testimonies of the wonderful things that God has done, it creates an atmosphere for miracles.  People need to hear the wonderful things that God is doing.  It expands their thinking and they begin to think outside their mindsets.

Pastor Johnson’s  church has been experiencing miracles for years.  They are pressing into God that their territory, Redding, California, be a cancer-free zone.  They are seeing tumors fall off, deformities from birth corrected, cancer healed and many other healings and miracles.  They are breaking the mindset that God does not operate today the way He operated in the New Testament.

God’s mercies are new every day.  He will help us today.  But, He tells ‘US’ to renew our minds in His Truth.  He tells us not to be conformed to this world in our thinking.  He’s not going to do it for us.  He has given us His Word and His Spirit and it is our choice to renew our mind and seek Him or to continue to believe things contrary to His Word, just because we’ve found a group that will agree with us. 

We like to tell ourselves that if Jesus had come to the earth today, we would have recognized Him.  We would have followed Him and honored Him.  But He’s on this earth today.  He’s omnipresent in the form of the Holy Spirit and many ‘believers’ have not recognized Him. 

God gave us free will.  We can choose.  We can decide to follow God with our whole hearts or we can stay where we are.  There is always more.  He is infinite love; infinite mercy; infinite truth.

Jesus’ last commission to us was this: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel (The Good News!) to all creation.  He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.  THESE SIGNS WILL ACCOMPANY THOSE WHO BELIEVE: In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them;  THEY WILL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY WILL RECOVER.”

We have to start with a new mindset.  We have to start by believing.

Mindset –  A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit.

blessings and love~

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

Mindsets

The Lord first spoke the word “mindset” to me several years ago.  A friend had died of sickness.  We had gone to the hospital to pray for her and I had seen the light of Jesus shine on her and bring wholeness.  I had spoken the things I saw in the Spirit over her.  She felt heat. Others had come and prayed for her, spending hours worshiping in her room. She was recovering.  Then I got a call two days later that she’d gone home to be with the Lord.  I asked God, “Why?”  And He said, “mindsets.”

In the last couple of days, God’s been talking to me about this a lot. The free online dictionary defines a mindset as:  1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit.

 I googled “mindsets” and found out that there’s a book out called, “Mindset” by psychologist Carol Dweck.    Here’s an excerpt from it.  “For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.  It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you commit to and accomplish the things you value.  How does this happen?  How can a simple belief have the power to transform your psychology and, as a result, your life?“

Now I don’t like psychology for a very simple reason.   It does not acknowledge that man is a spiritual being that needs salvation.  It is ‘humanism’ at its worse; man trying to fix himself without Jesus.   And once again, I’m sure this book will tell us how to fix our thinking through positive affirmations.  But this understanding of our thinking is profound.

The online dictionary also talks about “collective mindsets.”  A story is told that in 1974, psychologists were trying to reorient the American Indians to have ”correct goals” such as a house and a full bank account.  But their historical viewpoint of success was so different that it was impossible to get them to think ‘correctly.’ 

The term ‘apostle’, which we see in scripture, is a secular term that was first used in Roman/Greek culture.  The Romans were conquering vast territories and claiming them as part of the Roman Empire.  But when the conquerors  would return to these regions, they found that the culture of the original country had not changed.  The people were not becoming “Romans.”  So they left ‘apostles’ in the area to change the culture!  These people were to be an influence and infiltrate the culture with Roman/Greek thinking!  http://www.impactnetwork.net/pdf/apostle.pdf   They were sent out to these regions to transform the culture!

This is the reference point that Paul would have been using when writing.  He was charging us to be apostles to this world.  We have been ‘sent out’ by Christ to affect our culture, to change men’s  thinking, to tell the world that there is access to God through Jesus Christ.  But instead, many of us have been indoctrinated into the world’s thinking.  We are salt that has lost its ‘saltiness.’   Salt is a natural preservative that people used to keep their meat from spoiling.  Jesus wants us to be salt and light to this world.

We say more with our actions than we say with our words.  Especially when we are parents, we have a huge influence on the mindsets of our children.  If we eat dinner together every night and then spend time as a family in God’s Word and in prayer, we are establishing a truth in our children; that we cannot go a day without the Word of God; that we value the principles of God’s Word; that God is our first priority.

If our children see us up every morning before they are, praying and seeking God, it sends a message.  If our Bible is always open and we know what it says, and we quote it, it sends a message.   If the first thing we do when our children are sick is to lay hands on them and pray, we establish that we believe God’s Word regarding healing.  It becomes established in them that God heals.  They begin to experience healing through faith and when they are sick again, they do what works; pray, repent of sin and receive healing.

Our culture and society has an understood truth.  When you are sick, you go to a doctor.  Medicine heals you.  Some things cannot be healed; they are chronic or worse yet, terminal.  Some pharmaceuticals will help the symptoms but you will always be sick.  When medication causes negative side effects, you can take another medication to get rid of that side effect.  Everyone needs health insurance.  Getting sick without health insurance might mean that you could be refused medical care.  If you are given medical care without insurance, your bills could destroy your finances.  Doctors have the final authority on your health.

This becomes a deep routed fear in people.  It becomes a mindset. 

Many times believers in Christ believe that they have right thinking based on truth because they believe Jesus is the Son of God Who died for their sins never realizing that they are still believing lies from the enemy in every area of their lives.  They have deep routed mindsets well established from their childhood.

Then consider the ‘collective mindset.’  Nothing reassures us that we are ‘right’ better than having a group that agrees with us.  We find comfort in that; that everyone thinks like we do.  We pass this thinking down from generation to generation; from church to church.

Jesus talks about mankind as ‘sheep that need a shepherd.’  Without a shepherd, sheep don’t know where to go or what to think.  They are known for flocking together and not separating from their flock.  It is very hard for us to think independently and risk the rejection of others.  We are much more comfortable getting into the center of a group of like believers and hiding there;  approved of and accepted.

When Jesus was on the earth, He spoke the most harshly to the religious of that day: the Pharisees.  The Pharisees religiously observed the Sabbath, they tithed and fasted and prayed.   But Jesus condemned them saying that unless we become more righteous than they, we will not see the Kingdom of Heaven.  He called them hypocrites and told them that they invalidated the Word of God by their traditions; teaching their own traditions as the doctrines of God. (Matthew 15)

A few years ago, I heard about Heidi and Rolland Baker’s ministry in Mozambique, Africa.  www.irisministries.com   At that time, it was reported that they had raised over 70 people from the dead.  Heidi was going into the villages there and calling the people to come and hear about Jesus.  She was especially having success in the deaf receiving  hearing  and I always think it’s so wonderful that the first thing these people heard was the Name of Jesus!

When I first heard about this, my mind sort of did a little overload –“ What?!  Over 70 people raised from the dead?!”  I could not comprehend this!  As the years have progressed, I’ve listened to her on line.  In one session, she was speaking to a large group of pastors in Africa.  She asked them how many of them had raised people from the dead and every single one of them raised their hand!

One pastor told the story of a woman who was the people’s leader in witch craft.  She died and the Lord told him to go raise her from the dead.  He didn’t want to -LOL.  When he obeyed, the woman came to life praising Jesus and now serves Him with all her heart.  Many of the villagers have committed their lives to Christ because of her testimony and the transformation God has done in her life!

Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, and the author of, “When Heaven Invades Earth” says that when we share testimonies of the wonderful things that God has done, it creates an atmosphere for miracles.  People need to hear the wonderful things that God is doing.  It expands their thinking and they begin to think outside their mindsets.

Pastor Johnson’s  church has been experiencing miracles for years.  They are pressing into God that their territory, Redding, California, be a cancer-free zone.  They are seeing tumors fall off, deformities from birth corrected, cancer healed and many other healings and miracles.  They are breaking the mindset that God does not operate today the way He operated in the New Testament.

God’s mercies are new every day.  He will help us today.  But, He tells ‘US’ to renew our minds in His Truth.  He tells us not to be conformed to this world in our thinking.  He’s not going to do it for us.  He has given us His Word and His Spirit and it is our choice to renew our mind and seek Him or to continue to believe things contrary to His Word, just because we’ve found a group that will agree with us. 

We like to tell ourselves that if Jesus had come to the earth today, we would have recognized Him.  We would have followed Him and honored Him.  But He’s on this earth today.  He’s omnipresent in the form of the Holy Spirit and many ‘believers’ have not recognized Him. 

God gave us free will.  We can choose.  We can decide to follow God with our whole hearts or we can stay where we are.  There is always more.  He is infinite love; infinite mercy; infinite truth.

Jesus’ last commission to us was this: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel (The Good News!) to all creation.  He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.  THESE SIGNS WILL ACCOMPANY THOSE WHO BELIEVE: In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them;  THEY WILL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY WILL RECOVER.”

We have to start with a new mindset.  We have to start by believing.

Mindset –  A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit.

Love and blessings!

It is Always God's Will to Heal

My dad has been married six times.  I went through 3 divorces in my family between the ages of 9 and 15.  Then my dad left the state and I did not hear from him for 11 years, until I found him.

This left deep wounds in my soul which affected me in every area of my life.  I had fear of rejection, I believed I was unlovable, I was angry and confused.  I had trust issues. 

As I entered my 20’s, I began to have severe migraine headaches that over the years got worse and worse.  I sought doctors and their solution was to find a pain medication that would take away the headaches.  But I had headaches for a reason. 

Everything is spiritual.  We are spiritual beings.  When we are wounded emotionally, it manifests in many ways and often times in sickness.   My dad’s lifestyle was not my fault yet I suffered because of it.  And it became sin in my life.  Fear of rejection, anger, confusion – all these things fall short of the glory of God.  My thinking and my emotions were not in line with the truth of Jesus Christ. 

My sin then led to wrong actions.  I mistreated others because of my fears and issues.  God had a lot of healing to do in my life. 

Many people become angry when it is suggested that sickness is rooted in sin but sickness came into the world through sin.  The first to suggest that sickness was not spiritual was Hippocrates – the father of Western Medicine.  But James 5:14 says, “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”   In every example of sickness in the Bible, we see that sin/forgiveness of sin is connected.

That does not mean that we are to look at those that are REALLY sick and jump to the judgment that they are REALLY sinful.   They may have suffered the worse in this life and therefore be opened up to sickness.  Jesus wants to heal them.

In Luke 5:20-25 Jesus heals a man who was paralyzed.  He says, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”  The scribes and Pharisees challenge this and Jesus says, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

Scripture tells us over and over again that ‘Jesus healed them all.’  He never divided the crowd and told the group on the right that God did not want to heal them, they needed to learn something.  We ALL need to learn something.  We ALL need to be more dependent on God.  But God has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us into ALL truth.  Most the time our own actions have led us into negative circumstances and through these things, hopefully we will cry out to God and repent of our sin.  But our actions put us there, not God.

Proverbs 4:18 says, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.”

Proverbs 8:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”

And Psalm 1 says, “How BLESSED is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His Law he meditates day and night.  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; AND IN WHATEVER HE DOES, HE PROSPERS.”

I have been so blessed by the teachings of Katie Souza.  She teaches so beautifully on how the Light of Jesus heals these soul wounds that we all possess.  www.expectedendministries.com   She refers to the story of Jesus casting out demons in Matthew 8:28.  “When He (Jesus) had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-ightpossessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. ²⁹And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Jesus was pure and without sin.  He had nothing in common with these demons.  That gave Him complete authority over them.  When we have something in common with the demonic (sin), it gives them legal license to attack us; therefore , we have no authority over them.  When we repent of our sin and our ‘soul wounds’ are healed, we then have authority over this area in our lives.  3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you prosper and are in good health, even as your soul prospers.”  This is the will of God for us;  that we prosper in all things and walk in good health.  There is a scriptural connection between the prosperity of our soul and our health.

Because we have not understood why people who have faith in God are dying of illness, we have tried to adjust our doctrine to fit this world.  We need to adjust our thinking to fit the Word of God.

Katie Souza also shares how the Lord led her to do a 40 day fast and at the end of that fast, she saw Beelzebub falling from the heavens and knew she now had authority over the demonic.  The Lord still teaches her as she goes into situations and prepares her by showing her ‘soul wounds’ that are still not healed in her life, so that she will have authority in a situation.

I recently read an article written by a non-believer who went on a 40 day fast to lose weight.  http://www.falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm  I was amazed as he explained the changes you go through; physically, emotionally and spiritually, as you go through this fast.  Through his research, he learned that a 40 day fast destroys cancer cells in your body.  I have a dear friend who gives a testimony of a lady she knew when she was a child that was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  The Lord instructed this believer to do a 40 day fast.  When this lady finished, the cancer was gone.

Katie also teaches on the Light of Jesus.  Several years ago, the Lord led me to study ‘light.’  Jesus tells us that He is the Light of the World.  I learned so much about healing in this season and so was amazed as Katie added to that teaching.

 Another wonderful book is, “The Healing Light” by Agnes Sanford.  She had a miracle healing ministry and would imagine, just like Katie, that the Light of Jesus was shining on the sickness. 

I want to share, in my own words, an analogy that Ms. Sanford gives in her book.

“Imagine that there is an infinite reservoir of light/water/holiness/healing;  that is God.  This infinite love and healing is available to us at all times.  From the reservoir, a hose flows down to us and at the end of this hose there is a valve that we have the power to open or close.  God’s healing and light is available to all us.  It is infinite and given to us through the Blood of Jesus.  We just need to learn how to open the valve.”

Our mind is the ‘gate’ – the valve!  Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may PROVE what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect.  As our mind, ‘the gate’, begin to line up with the Truth of Jesus, we are open to receive instruction, healing and revelation to set us free from sin.

 I have also learned so much from Bill Johnson.   www.ibethel.org    He pastors Bethel church in Redding California.  His church has been experiencing miracles for years now.  He says that when our mind is renewed in truth, miracles become logical.

I have a ways to go.  But I am setting my heart to think like Jesus; until the miraculous becomes logical.

Love and blessings!