Do not let the opinions of others draw you into double mindedness. Double mindedness robs us of hope and without hope there is no foundation for real faith in Christ Jesus to be released bringing with it the power of God.

What is our focus? Do we focus on the sins, or sickness, or even just bad habits we so want to be rid of? When we gather together around the word of God what should our coaches and teachers be drawing our focus to?

Individually - as I behold the Lord Jesus Christ even the body of sin that was trained by the old man is transformed into the body of righteousness. Any flesh trained by the old man no longer has dominion over me. Just as sin no longer has dominion over me, the effects of sin, and the works of the flesh are all left behind as the new man fashioned after Christ Jesus is transforming my soul and body into the soul and body of righteousness.

Corporately – the same principle applies. As I behold Jesus Christ in myself and others, all that is of enmity and strife, separation and sin falls away. Being male or female gentile or jew, all forms of Hierarchy and prejudice no longer have dominion over us. The blessing, presence of God, the person of Holy Spirit who is the promise of the Father, is able to express the fullness of Christ in the earth once again.

As we see each other after the Spirit rather than appearances, things can change and shift, demons flee and the heavens open up, and hush themselves as we sing our songs of freedom from grateful hearts who acknowledge that God is all in all.

It has been said, “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” In Christ we are children of Abraham. The same blessing that Abraham walked in is the blessing that comes in and through us. Yet also the book of Hebrews declares what we have as a “better covenant”, than that which Abraham walked in. We need today the former and the latter rain released and it will only come through a people who are focused on the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

So those of us who have believed and still totally trust and rely on Jesus Christ for everything pertaining to salvation have a better covenant, an eternal Hight Priest who has been touched by our infirmities and has totally removed any legal reason for sin or sickness to hold us prisoners. How do we appropriate all that He, Jesus has done for us?

Do you know who you are? Do you know what you have? Do you know how to get it? Do you know what the Lord has already done with the one you used to be?

When you choose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for you on the cross, then decided to stand on that belief, it seems then the fight is on. The enemy comes to steal the word, (Jesus Christ), you have received. It is only by the divine influence on your heart you were able to choose to believe in the first place. It is only the divine influence on your heart that will bring the manifestation to your soul and body of that which is in you already.

If you enter what some have called a Job experience, it truly does become another sort of war. Some people would have you “take control and work very hard to receive, or deliver yourself.”

If you accept the call of God to be used of Him to speak into the lives of others He is calling there is another level of battle that goes on. You really do have to let God bring you into places of helplessness and give up all ideas of self preservation.

Meaning well, there are those who actually start to take your focus onto you and all that is happening to you. This can create such a cognitive dissonance that you become totally unsettled, and out of the peace that passes all understanding which is a free gift. This dissonance will continue until you either let go of that focus and once again simply trust Jesus Christ and continue to stand. Or you let go of simple trust in Jesus Christ and in some way or other try to work up your own deliverance.

What is cognitive dissonance? It is simply double mindedness. It is created in an individual who is constantly presented with facts and appeals to their logic, that do not line up with their inner core beliefs. It is like two conflicting opinions that try to jossle for preeminence in the soul of a human being.

It has been used by people of power and influence to change the behavior of entire people groups. The dissonance is created constantly bombarding the minds of people with information contrary to their belief systems, until they are very uncomfortable with their core beliefs. People who are not aware of whats going on will often forsake their core beliefs in favor of the new information and thereby their attitudes and behavior change.

When we, as people of God are presented with symptoms in our bodies and sickness tries to take hold of us, this in itself creates a cognitive dissonance with our belief in the word of God that says “by the stripes of Jesus we were healed 2 thousand years ago”.

As we begin to affirm with our words and prayers that which we believe, keeping our eyes focused on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith, (and what pistis faith is all about). He gives us His grace and the “peace that passes all understanding”, which settles the cognitive dissonance and actually empowers you to continue to stand on the word of God and be in peace, walk in love, no matter what the symptoms are doing.

We read the word of God which says having done all to stand, stand therefor.” Even this doing and standing is a thing we do by His empowering presence.

Some doctrines and interpretation of scripture, or ways of presenting truths, actually create cognitive dissonance again in us, and are of no benefit to one who is needing deliverance from sickness or any of the effects of sin. When you treat a person who is standing, like the thing they are standing against is some kind of evidence that they are not standing on the word of God, you can introduce into the equation damaging dissonance.

Another word for it is double mindedness.

Sick person or one who is walking away from harmful habits and sin. - Double-mindedness is idolatry. It can actually steal the seed that you need rising up within you to overcome the problem by God's grace. This truth is effectively communicated in the first chapter of James' epistle. "The Man in the Mirror."

James 1:18 KJV Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James 1:22-25, KJV But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

The keys to understanding this passage are found in verse 23. We know that the "glass" or "mirror" is a symbol for the Word of God.

The word for "natural" in the same verse is genesis, and it means, "nativity, nature; source, origin, a book of one's lineage," (translated in Matthew 1:1 as "generation"). This literally reads, "the face of his birth" (compare verse 18).

The man in the mirror is the new man, this is our Genesis face, which was first mirrored in the Garden in creation, when we were created in His image and likeness and then given dominion (Gen. 1:26-28)! The man in the mirror is Jesus who is the word.

2 Corinthians 4:6, NIV For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Dr Kelley Varner says

“In the "pattern" of the Old Testament Tabernacle (Ex. 25:40), the brazen altar in the Outer Court typifies the cross of Christ. The Brazen Laver (wash basin), made from the polished brass of the "looking glasses" of the women of Israel (Ex. 38:8), pictures the Mirror, the Word of God, and reveals the face of Christ.“

The old way of taking this scripture, takes this Mirror and focuses on the face of our old nature, ever saying to the people, "look your sinfulness!" or look at your sickness. Why have you not got the manifestation yet? Look at your circumstances. There must be something you have not done or done wrong.

Where does this attitude come from in those who pray for the sick and expect God's power to manifest, then it does not? Could it be that they view the symptoms and sin or sickness that is being dealt with, as either a reproach on their own good name and ministry, or it has to be the fault of the sick person? They cannot think that God is failed or His word because that would cause a cognitive dissonance in their own soul. They cannot entertain that their belief may be wrong in their own ministry and doctrine, so the only other answer is the patient must be the problem. Whether they say that or not – this is what they will impart when communicating because its what they believe in their heart.

Sadly they do not see that they need God's grace to enlighten them to the bigger picture and its not all about them or the patient either.

The problem with most of Job's friends was that they actually thought they were superior to Job and because they were not the afflicted ones they had the answers as to why it was happening to Job, when all the time God was proving to the devil that Job was a righteous man (believed God and loved Him not just for his benefits).

Jesus does not have a problem with sin or sickness, He has dealt with all that can hurt and harm us on the cross. He willingly allowed it to come on Him, no matter what we deserve by all appearances, it is not God's desire that we get what we deserve, which is why He sent his Son. That He could bring many sons to Glory.

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and those who had been bitten, (in obedience to God's word), as they looked upon the serpent on a stick were healed.

Jesus said “ if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Myself ”. No matter what we seem to be going through this is what we need. To fix our eyes upon Jesus, as He was lifted up on the cross of this purpose.

The right approach when we realise its not all about us, takes the same Scriptures and contemplates Christs new nature, declaring from the midst of adverse circumstances, "Look at Him! Look at His righteousness! And then look at yourself in Him!"

Our "natural face" in the Mirror as a Christian, is the face of His new nature.

2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The veil of our human understanding must be removed, in order to see Christ. As we look at, and reflect Him, we worship Him. The wonder of worshiping with this perspective from a heart that is grateful for who He is, becomes then, that we are ever changed into the "same image." We become what we worship. From the inside out.

It is only when our hearts turn to the Lord and His Kingdom that this veil and mask, this old mindset, this "false face," and doctrin of works is "taken away," or removed entirely (2 Cor. 3:16).

Matthew 6:22-24, KJV “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.”

The "evil" eye of double mindedness emphasizes two natures that seemingly fight each other in you. The old man of sin is dead once you have been born again and baptised then filled with the Holy Spirit. The old man is dead, he/she has no power over you any longer.

The reality is that the fight is only to retrain the soul and body in the ways of Jesus Christ, empowered by the new nature that resides within us. The new nature where nothing is missing or broken. The Spirit within us once born again contains the blessing, which was the promise of the Father and purchased at the cross.

The blessing is God Himself, in the person of Holy Spirit. His aim is to transform us individually and corporately into the body of righteousness, the body of Christ. As we were originally designed, in the image of Him who created us. That means nothing missing nothing broken.

The old nature has already been crucified with Christ on the cross when we were born again. Yes man has been given authority and can overcome, IN HIM. In Christ Jesus.

The Man in the Mirror is the New Man, and he has but one single eye! We cannot serve or worship "two" with a divided heart. We cannot move in Christ and in our own efforts.

We must be in love with "One" with our "whole heart"-this is the first and greatest commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart (Mk. 12:28-30).

How sad that we have allowed other lovers to divide our time, our focus, our loyalty, and our affection. Again, double mindedness is a divided loyalty. Christians have been espoused (betrothed, joined) to one Husband, Jesus, the Head of the Church (2 Cor. 11:2).

We can so easily judge that if someone is going through trials and tribulation, they must need to do something that they have not done. How can this be the love of God in Christ Jesus?

If we look from the perspective of what we see and the circumstances, we can sometimes, though well meaning, become just another voice that creates the cognitive dissonance, which can steal the seed of hope as a person is drawn to focus on what has been inflicted upon their body, or even their soul. Rather than this we need to encourage people to focus on Jesus and keep that focus.

For people who know the word of God and are standing on the word of God. It would be far more beneficial to go and clean their house, or provide for their family so they can have a day off from work and spend time seeking God and His word and presence, than preaching to them. Help take care of anything that takes their focus off Jesus.

By all means pray for them and help in practical ways but other than that, treat then with dignity and respect, as though they are still a person with worth, that you could actually learn something from.

2 Cor 5:17 to 6:10 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

We are all in the same boat really, even though we may consider some afflicted and we are not – the Bible says if one hurts we all hurt. We just may not realise it.

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

Attack on the Body and Leaders

In the last two years I've heard mature men of God say they have never seen the unprecedented attack on ministers and those called of God to lead His people as has happened in the last 2 years. These scriptures sure are painting a different picture to what some would have us believe of those who are going through trials and suffering. The thing is in whatever circumstances, who and what is our focus?

If by God's grace you have been blessed while others are in trials, do not think that gives you an authority or superiority in the Kingdom of God. This sort of judging by appearances was something Jesus addressed.

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

2 Cor 5:11 -15 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”

Those who are growing in the grace of God and “doing within while they are without,” are actually gaining an authority and ability in Christ Jesus to release the power of God in the earth, that can come no other way than walking through affliction with Him.

So what do you do when someone is suffering?

Recognise God is God and we are not, for starters. We are becoming His image but God will always be God and that line must not be crossed. Resist judging or trying to nut things out on their behalf. This is God's place and He knows His own and He knows how He will bring them through.

I've heard it said by others and in my own experience, its nicest when others treat you the with increased kindness and dignity. Its nice when others are there for you. When they express their support and help you keep focused on Jesus.

A scripture that helps

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Dear one just keep your eyes and heart fixed on the one who has already overcome and that which you focus on is what you become like.

When you are looked upon as afflicted and encouraged to look at your circumstances to try and “fix” the problem. Remember the focus to stay on Jesus, anything else is double minded, idolatry and in fact evil. Love those who are only doing what they think is right but keep focused on Jesus, single minded and totally enthralled with your God. Allow the fruit of patience to rise up within you.

Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

James 1:1 -11 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:”

( That word for low degree is 5011. tapeinos, tap-i-nos'; of uncert. der.; depressed, i.e. (fig.) humiliated (in circumstances or disposition):--base, cast down, humble, of low degree (estate), lowly. )

“ But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”

Those who are, by the grace of God going through times of plenty are, according to James not necessarily the ones to be judged as lifted up by God. In fact they are in danger of losing it all, if they think any of their own acts have got them where they are. And do not give all the glory to God, following Him and being generous on every occasion.

I hold my breath in these days when God is bringing the attention back onto Himself, and people arrogantly say anything that they have done is the reason they have what they have.

I've seen people who have had nothing and complained about how they were treated in that place – gain increase by God's grace and then treat others how they did not like being treated, and worse.

It has been interesting to observe the attitudes of Christians we know while we have been going through the last few years of intensity, Believing God for His restoration.

We have had blessed and wealthy Christians around us. Some have treated us with continued respect and dignity in their support and help. Others have constantly made interaction in relationship with them, feel like they think, they are superior to us somehow.

Those who show kindness and humbly walking beside us, have been so appreciated. Those who do this even give you a feeling they look up to you, as a brother and sister in Christ. I find these are of the new breed of Christians, those who do not think in terms of hierarchy, and in their presence you actually feel free to be able to express that in spite of what seems to be happening to you, the love of God and your loving relationship with him is just getting stronger. These people constantly help you refocus on Jesus no matter what ups and downs each day holds,they understand. You can be real with them and they you.

There are also those who show what feels like a feigned kindness. Where its actually all about them. Interaction with them is an opportunity for them to feel superior to you, somehow an opportunity to act as your deliverer if you will let them. When you do walk in love and grace toward their attitude with you, deliverance does not come. They like to draw attention to their own status as they seek to gather people to themselves. Provide for themselves a platform. These are those still with the traditions hanging on to them from an institutional mindset. They can't really help what they do, this is just an observation. While I understand they do not know what they are doing, it does become hard when subjected to the attitude they hold toward you. It is dishonoring and like the benevolence of a benefactor.

This robs Jesus of His rightful Glory as these people actually get your focus off of the Lord.

Luke 22:25 - 30 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

1 John 5:4 -5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.(This faith is pistis - total and complete trust in Jesus Christ for everything pertaining to salvation spirit soul and body)

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Rev 21:5 - 8 “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. “

Let this be your focus, be single minded and desire only Him and He will see you through to His praise and His Glory. Continue to keep your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and grace.

Love Lee

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