At this stop in our walk through the Tabernacle towards the presence of God, we have the need to exchange our old thoughts for the mind of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 tells us that the spiritual warfare is our mind. It tells us that strongholds, reasonings, and imaginations hold our thoughts captive, and that these things keep us from the true knowledge of God. These thoughts lie to us about the goodness and grace of God and His saving love and power. Demons constantly accuse us and bombard our minds with half-truths. They perpetrate guilt, unworthiness, and fear. They preach that we must perform to please a harsh God. Isaiah 11 tells us that God replaces our natural intellect with that of the Holy Spirit: i.e., Spirit of The Lord, knowledge, counsel, wisdom, understanding, might and fear of the Lord. There is much to be said here because our thoughts are the very core of our being.

Overcoming or turning Junk into Jewels is real, it is God's passion for His people, but it does not come like fruit falling off a tree. The overcomers in Scripture were always in the minority. It is not automatic to overcome. It takes a passion to pursue God. It takes discipline to go all the way with God. It also takes a renewed mind. The mind and its functions are a major part of overcoming.

We must set our thoughts free! How? When we were slaves to sin, we used the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is our independent reasoning. Now we should be using the Tree of Life, which is the Word of God. I no longer think and decide, but I use my mind for it's God given purpose, and that is to listen and obey! When we truly see the glory of God as Paul did on the road to Damascus, we no longer reason, we simply say, "Lord what do you desire for me to do." You may ask, "Am I supposed to forfeit my creativity and become a robot for God?" No! God wants you be creative just like He is, however He wants to author your creative thoughts.

The mind, why is it represented by the golden lampstand? The lampstand traditionally represents testimony. We should utilize our intellectual powers to speak God's Word as a testimony to the enemy. The lampstand is also symbolic of the Holy Spirit, with its symbols of oil and fire. When God made Adam and Eve, He told them that they could touch any tree in the Garden, but could not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. I believe that the Tree of Life is the Word of God and that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is our own mind that is not taking instructions from the Spirit of God. Adam did not need to have knowledge to decide what was good and evil. If he had lived in oneness with God he would have intuitively known. But Adam wanted to be independent of God so he began to make his own decisions of what he should do and not do. He did not want to be bad, just independent.

What was the original intended function for the mind?

We are supposed to use our mind, but God's guidance transcends human reasoning. When God saves you He does not remove your mind, He renews it. The mind is the organ of thought. It is the hidden force of human destiny because your thoughts turn into actions, which turn into habits, which turn into character.

God made us in such a way that we are supposed to use our mind to pick up information for navigating on earth from our five senses, but to obtain information on spiritual reality from our spirit. Some believe that the information that we see with our five senses is reality, but it is not. Things that we can see are subject to change by the things we cannot see. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." Spiritual information tells us about things that are real but cannot be seen. Things that are seen are created by and changed by things that are not seen. By the way, 2 Corinthians 4:18 was written by Paul in the context of his suffering.

The definition of truth is reality.

However reality that we pick up with our natural senses is superceded by spiritual reality, which we cannot see with our minds.

God wants to be our source of information. I Corinthians 2:9-12 says, "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-12).

When a student pilot learns to fly, one of his lessons includes "flying blind." The instructor puts a hood over the student's head so that all the student can see are the instruments. This is to train him for when he is disoriented due to bad weather. When we are in bad weather, we need our hood on so that all we can see is the Word of God!

Truth is defined as reality. Reality in the natural world is a low form of truth, but reality in the spiritual realm is a higher form of truth. We cannot see the spiritual world with our mind and our five senses. Therefore we must trust the Word of God to see truth.

For example, when God wanted Abraham to see the truth that he would be the father of many nations, He did it by showing Abraham the stars. With Jacob it was spots and stripes on the cattle, and when Jesus wanted to show us truth He spoke in parables using agriculture as an example. Do we really have a Tabernacle embedded in our hearts to walk through into the presence of God? Yes, no! It is God's way of showing reality.

Very often when God wants me to believe that business and provisions are mine, He uses this verse in Psalm 144, which says, "That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields" (Psalms 144:13). My mind then sees thousands of sheep mating and multiplying in a distant field that I cannot see with my eye, but eventually I will see them as new business.

Too often we limit God.

We are four-dimensional beings, having one time and three spatial dimensions. God must have more or He could not have created us. Scientists have proven that whoever created the universe needed to have at least eleven dimensions. God most likely has an infinite number of them. Therefore we should not judge His promises to us, such as, "I will provide for all of your needs" as a future promise that maybe He will or will not fulfill. He would not tell us that unless He has already fulfilled it. The trouble is, it just has not caught up with us yet in our time dimension. With our time dimension, the cause must come before the effect, but not with God. "It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24). Ephesians 3:18 refers to at least four dimensions, more than we have, to comprehend the love of God; width, length, depth, and height. Try to figure that out with your mind!

The mind is supposed to be under the control of the spirit. We were designed to be in control of our mind, not have our mind control us. We are spirit beings. We were supposed to be united to God's Spirit who would supply us with the knowledge that we need. Our spirit is supposed to tell our mind what to do, not visa versa. As Christians we are on the road to recovery. Although our full mind potential will not be realized on earth, we can function in a way far superior to non-Christians. However we must spend more time in the Word than in the world.

Prior to the fall of sin, man's mind was extremely powerful.

We really cannot imagine how powerful the potential of man's brain really is. There are people in history and now alive that have experienced a defective birthing process that deformed their brain in such a way that some of that potential became unlocked. I have read about a totally uneducated man, who in the 15th century, solved a math problem that asked how many 1/8th inch cubes are in a cube 50,678 ft X 122,566 ft X 23,456 ft . He gave the correct answer in less than 30 seconds. The mathematicians took weeks to prepare the problem. Sin diminished this brainpower and that by the grace of God lest this world would be far more evil than it is.

This is not the exact problem but is an example of the measurements.

Romans chapter 8:6-7 tells us that we can have either a spirit-controlled mind, or a flesh controlled mind (carnal mind), and that only a spirit controlled mind can please God. "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be" (Romans 8:6-7).

Sin perverted the original function of the mind. Man's mind will function even if our spirit is dead. Before we are re-born, the mind operates without orders from the dead spirit. If the mind operates without instructions and constraint from the human spirit connected to God's Spirit, it will make itself available to Satan. "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Paul said that Christians can live just like unbelievers if they do not give their minds to God. "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:17-24).

I believe that your old nature is like a tree that has been cut down, but still has live branches that have not yet died. You still have old memory tapes in your brain that tends to keep you thinking and acting according to the old nature. Most of your struggle will be with your mind. You may, however, have to deal with strongholds of the mind and/or demonic strongholds.

God gives us stern warning and direct instructions to renew our mind. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1,2). The author Paul uses strong language in this verse. After eleven chapters in Romans giving a great exposé on the grace and mercy of God, he then says in effect "After all this good news now I beseech you to renew your mind." He also contrasts the renewed mind to the mind that is conformed to the world. Remember you have been delivered from the world. You are supposed to be under the Kingdom of God, but if you do not renew your mind, you will be living like a mere "world person" well below your privileges.

The word transformed used in Romans 12 is the word metamorphoo in Greek which according to Strongs Concordance means "transfigure, to change into another form as in Christ's transfiguration Matthew 17:2. The obligation being to undergo a complete change which, under the power of God, will find expression in character and conduct; morphe lays stress on the inward change. The tense of the verb is present continuous indicating a process." It is cross referenced to, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Look above at Ephesians 4:22-24, which tells us to put off the old nature and put on the new nature by renewing the spirit of our mind.

This transforming that is referred to here is something God does, however, He will only do it if you cooperate with Him. You must drench ourselves in the Word of God, meditate upon it, and keep it in your mind and mouth. You must have more of the Word of God than things of the world.

The word transformed defined as metamorphoo describes a change. A worm becomes a butterfly by metamorphose. You will actually feel your old worm nature change as you spend more time in the Word than in the world. There is however a great suffering experienced by the worm as it comes out of the cocoon on its journey through transformation. It squeezes, turns, and sheds its old nature. Scientists have attempted to relieve the suffering by making a small cut in the cocoon with disastrous results. As the relieved butterfly attempted to fly, it could not. Its muscles had not been exercised enough and it died.

Our imagination can lead to blindness if we do not totally consecrate it to God and His Word. The imagination is a powerful God given function designed to be submitted to Him so that He may write His pictures on it. If we allow Satan or the world to write on our imagination, we become blind as the following Scriptures testify.

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

If we habitually concentrate on the negative past we will stay bound to it, and eventually "go back to it." Hebrews 11:15-16a (AMP) says, "If they had been thinking with [homesick] remembrance of that country from which they were emigrants, they would have found constant opportunity to return to it; But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country, that is, a heavenly [one]. …" We need to focus on the better things God has for us, not our past failures.

If we do not concentrate on the positive, our mind will default to the negative. If your mind is passive, the imagination is passive. It is waiting for an outside stimulus. That is why hypnosis and meditation (Eastern style) is so dangerous. It is an open invitation for demon spirits to take over. In Genesis 11 the people imagined evil and built the tower of Babel. The Lord could see how powerful their imagination had become so He confused their speech so that would become disunited. "And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do" (Genesis 11:6).

Concentration and passivity are opposites.

Concentration is a good thing; the devil comes against it. Our concentration can be flighty. That is why videos and TV ads and programs quickly change frames every 2-5 seconds. People have lost the power to concentrate by being impatient and wanting things quickly. Reading and memorizing requires concentration and is healthy for our mind, especially reading and memorizing the Word of God. Entertainment is not always bad, but overindulgence can render the mind a prisoner. Young people's minds are progressively becoming passive and unable to concentrate. When one overindulges in entertainment they give their minds over to a source that is not healthy. Not only does entertainment disengage healthy thought, but also most entertainment comes from the world, and not from godly sources.

Psalm 143:5 uses the word "muse" which is the opposite of amuse. "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands" (Psalms 143:5). Muse means to ponder and to meditate. Amuse is to disengage ones brain and allow outside forces to control it. The Psalmist mused or meditated on the work of God's hands! "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:8). The Word must prevail in our lives. If it is just a occasional devotion that defines your life, you cannot expect to overcome.

Positive concentration especially on the Word of God is important for the overcoming process. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:8). The word meditate in this Scripture means to speak, utter, imagine and study, according to Strongs Concordance. I have heard it said that meditate is like a cow chewing a cud. She regurgitates it, then chews it again, then the process continues over and over. We should do the same with the Word of God. Soon we will be thinking God's thoughts and we will be so close to Him it will surprise us!

We begin here. We walk through here We end up here and take up our cross. in God's presence.