Thursday, November 7, 2013

A Kingdom Mindset


Both John the Baptist and Jesus came to preach saying, repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  In Mark1:15 Jesus said repent and believe the gospel.  The word repent means to think differently, in other words to believe the gospel one must change their mindset.  The classic definition of repentance is to turn away from sin and turn to God.  To be sorry for sin and promise God you’ll quit doing the wrong.  That's an important part of it but without changing our thinking we can not change what we do or say.  In Romans12:2 Paul declares, be not conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Our minds have been programmed by the world to process information through a self preserving, climb to the top of the scale mentality.  In order to be successful we must become “somebody”.  According to Jesus’ teaching, the one who humbles himself will in due time be exalted but the one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who wants to be great let him become the servant of all.          

Romans._12:3  For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith. 

 Here in Romans 12:3 the word ‘soberly’ speaks of having a sound mind much like the verse in 2 Timothy 1:7 which says, God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind.  Paul says to think soundly in accordance with the measure of faith given us.  Further on in verse 6 Paul says we are to prophesy in the same manner, according to the proportion or measure of our faith. 

There are at least two ways to apply the thought of a proportion or measure of faith.  First is, knowing that all have not been given an equal amount of faith as seed.  If you’ve ever played monopoly you know how each player in the beginning is dealt out an equal amount of play money, yet inevitably one will end up with most of it by investing in the right property and so on.  Unlike monopoly we are not out to beat the competition but to invest in them to see them become successful by God’s measure.  God hasn’t given each one of us an equal amount of faith as seed but those who have the right mindset won’t see it as a disadvantage but will understand that faith even as small as a tiny mustard seed can grow and produce mountain moving authority.  So our future growth and promotion is not so dependant upon the amount of faith we are dealt to begin with but what we do to increase the faith we have.  Instead of seeing our small faith as an insignificant little seed, see the vast garden that can be produced through exercising or planting it.  We should not allow our small measure to prevent us from prophesying but understand as we exercise our prophetic gift it will grow.   

Our mindset acts as a grid or a filter that we receive and give through.  The parable of the talents illustrates this point.  Three servants were each given a portion of their master’s wealth to invest.  The first two began investing right away while the third hid his portion in a safe place so he could return it unharmed upon the master’s return.  The first two servants obviously trusted their master and were not concerned about failing or how much they would benefit personally from their efforts.  The third saw the master as a hard man, having no grace but expecting more production with no extra benefits.  His thinking process skewed his master’s true intentions.  This test was not so the master could determine who to promote but to reveal the true heart or mindset of all parties involved.   When the master returned and found the first two servants had doubled their talents he rewarded them accordingly.  They were given charge over additional kingdom territory because they were faithful with the small amount they were entrusted with.  The two had a sound mind, free of fear and filled with love and trust for their master.  The third servant’s lack of love and trust made him suspicious of his master’s motives and resulted in even more lack, even the talent which he was given was taken from him.

Mar 4:23-25  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.   And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more shall be given unto you. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

Faith comes by hearing not just the words but the heart behind the words.  Jesus said, he that has ears to hear let him hear, take heed, and be careful what and how he hears for the thinking process or mindset he hears by is the same mindset he responds through and the same determines if more is given him or if that which he already has is taken away.   (My own paraphrase)  The one who hears though a sound, healthy and faith-filled mind will respond in like manner.  A trusting response leads to growth, increase and reward, but he who hears through a suspicious or doubting mind will respond in like manner preventing growth and increase, he will loose even that which he seems to have.    

 There are two measures or mindsets mentioned above.  I like to call the first a legal mentality and the other is being faith minded.  In Romans 10 Paul points out two forms of righteousness, one being of the law and the other of faith.  Legal righteousness is the result of human effort doing the deeds of the law, which by the way Christ brought to an end, but the righteousness which is by faith is the result of believing, trusting and confessing with our mouth, it is coming into agreement with what God says.  The two servants who multiplied their talents trusted the master and were called faithful, but the third Jesus called lazy and wicked.  It appears the third servant had a legal obligation mentality that misread his master’s request.  To him it was extra duty, possibly something not in their labor agreement if you will.  An obligation or legal minded person will process what he hears through a list of requirements which limits his response.  On the other hand the faith minded person’s measuring system is a good measure (See Luke 6:38) pressed down shaken together and running over.  Good measure thinking is not limited by requirements but overflows with generosity, understanding the Master will not ask anything He has not empowered us to do by His grace and rewards the diligent. 

A legal mindset or an obligation mentality does not increase the faith seed that is given and therefore is incompatible with an ever increasing Kingdom.  So to thrive in God’s kingdom our tiny speck of faith must be invested or planted like the mustard seed that it will grow into a tree large enough that birds can find shelter in it.  Our faith mentality will treasure what God treasures causing us to invest in what He invests in, people.

There is a danger of having a knee jerk reaction to a message like this, thinking we should not invest in this world but only in God’s Kingdom.  In reality the kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdoms of our Lord.  The proper response would be for Christians to invade this world’s system sowing as it were a Kingdom mindset.  Not by trying to take over but through serving those already in positions of authority and prophesying life and encouragement into those who feel trapped in a dead end job or lifestyle.  Jesus said, the Kingdom of heaven is like leaven or yeast that is worked into bread dough (See Luke 13:20-21) with enough time and the right atmosphere yeast will influence the whole lump of dough.  Invading this world with the Kingdom mindset will have the same affect, it will influence the whole world.  

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