Many of us probably would say very strongly that we don’t believe in myths but if we looked closer at our beliefs we might find out that our strong held beliefs are based on someone’s ideas or desires, rather than on history, fact and what comes from the word of God. Many of our beliefs have been constructed by what we have been taught rather than from what we have observed. When it comes to biblical beliefs the same holds true.  We have constructed a belief system which was gained from pastors and teachers throughout our lifetime. These people may have taught us the word of God or they could have mixed truth with myth without even realizing it.

This is a multi part topic and this is the second in the series in asking the question, “Does God Change His Mind,” or has God set in motion everything that ever will happen? The “CHANGEABLENESS” of God is not in question as to whether God is reliable and consistent with his character and action, but does God change with regard to our behavior or heart attitude.

Believe it or not, the title is an important question because what we believe about how God responds or doesn’t respond to our actions, especially with regards to our prayers, makes all the difference in the world. Prayer is the most vital link we have with God because scripture reveals, in general, the mind and will of God for the believer but it is prayer that creates and develops the relational side of our relationship.

Have you ever wondered how you would change your past if you had the ability to go back in time? I think most of us would make different choices if we are honest about the past.  It might be about taking one kind of job over another or moving to a new city or even the friends we chose. Regardless of the individual details, our choices about the future have significant effects our life, both in terms of our fulfillment and our fruitfulness.

Everyone has a perspective on just about everything. The question to ask is if our perspective relates to the facts at hand or if our perspective is out of sync with reality. Today, many people process their perspective on life by how they “FEEL” far more than by the facts before them. Reality has a cruel way of hitting us right between the eyes when we least expect it because facts don’t lie but feeling do.

This is the third article on walking in the blessing and power of the Holy Spirit. This subject has many aspects but I wanted to address what I think is lacking by many believers, especially by pastors. Walking in the Spirit is far more than walking in the gifts of the Spirit. It should also encompass the knowledge and freedom of walking without the hindrance of demonic spirits that still operate on the earth as they did in biblical times.

All too often we grow up listening to others around us in order to build our concepts about our self worth and identity.  The world builds the idea of their identity and self worth measured by what they look like or what they can accomplish and this produces a terrible platform for building self-esteem and identity. Christians should be developing their identity and self-worth from the word of God and why he made us. Mind you, I have heard some really twisted ideas in sermons about a persons lack of value.  It makes me wonder if these preachers ever read the bible as a whole because they paint the picture that people have no redeeming value in themselves at all and God only saved us because he felt sorry for humanity, not because God valued humanity even with our brokenness.  

Receiving Jesus into our lives was always meant to be a transformative experience, not just a transitory one or a one-time experience. With that in mind, Jesus ultimately came to set the sinners free by revealing the Father’s heart for humanity. Scripture says that all of us are being ruled by the spirit of this age that is working in the world.

So many professing Christians know that real life is found in an intimate relationship with Father God and yet all too often we exchange our loving relationship with Him for rules and memorizing verses or portions of scripture. We exchange our intimacy with God himself for God’s word, which is filled with God’s thoughts rather than God himself. The pharisees of old are a good example of this exchange. For Christians today, we do the same thing by becoming more loyal to a book than to the one who wrote the book.