Waiting

I wonder how many of us enjoy waiting ? I know that I rather do something else, well I’m a man, and most men, and if not a lot of women will hopefully agree with me that men aren’t particularly good at waiting!

We seem to spend so much time in the day, waiting, perhaps it’s waiting for the Bus or Train, which always seem to be running late, if you’re anything like me, you keep checking your watch and the timetable, or if you’re desperate, sending a text message to the local Bus company timetable service, who then sent you a text message for the time of the next bus!

One of the leading Supermarkets, here in the UK, Tesco some time ago launched a self checkout service rather than a check out operator scan your goods, customers can now self-scan, it’s suppose to make things easier for customers but if you like me, you spend at least twice as long self-scanning than you would do at a more conventional check-out ! Maybe it’s a man thing !.

In the so-called Western or developed world, we seem constantly rushing or hurrying, trying to get places quicker or faster, we have Instant Coffee, Express Checkouts, Online Banking, Online Shopping, which is really cool, because you don’t have to queue and it’s delivered, sometimes even the next day.

I’ve had many moments where God has either spoken into or touched my life, I remember when God moved in my life as a somewhat angry, self centred and annoying teenager, a few of you  will remember me like that! Of all the years, I’ve prayed and sought God’s face, wept, read my Bible, keep going, nearly give up dozens of times, been disappointed, hurt, felt rejection.

Throughout the years despite all that has happened, I’m still here, still have questions that I can’t answer, lost friends and family, been confused over so many things, and at least several times lost for words, failed, Yet Jesus still loves me, still cares for me, and is still by my side.

Some time ago, I went through a time of hurt and rejection, and although I didn't give up on my relationship with the Lord.  I had stopped going to Church. I was angry and confused both with myself, others and the Lord.  During this time, I had two significant dreams, in one dream one of the elders from a church I used to attend, and had left some years was praying with me in  his office, and the second dream was coming here to Southport, and both happened as in the dreams.

It has and will involve change on my part, but the only true option I have is to move forward, it means moving on and standing strong, It means giving my full attention to all the things God has spoken into my life and done in my life, it involves letting go of some things so that I can lay hold of other things, it’s means pain and sorrow, but also means joy and fulfilment. It means moving on from where I am to where God wants me to be.

Change is coming.

It’s taking longer than I expected, and although there seems to be a delay, these things come in God’s Timing and not ours. Yes I’m moving forward and staying focused, I don’t know the actual date I’m moving on and when God will fulfil His promise, I’ve nearly given up a few times, I don’t know how and when, or how long the journey will be, but I’m taking it one day, and one step at a time, and know in God’s timing I will arrive.

There are two scriptures that God has spoken into my life this last week. These are Habakkuk 2:3 and Hebrews 10:35-36

Habakkuk 2:3 Niv

3 For the revelation waits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it [c] will certainly come and will not delay.

Hebrews 10:35-36 Niv

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Yours in Him

Blair Humphreys

To boldly go, where no-one has gone before !

To boldly go, where no-one has gone before !

To boldly go, where no-one has gone before !

 

When I was growing up, my parents and grandparents would take me and my two sisters on holidays to Ifracombe on the North Devon Coast, and more often or not we would go by the MV Balmoral, which would sail between Swansea and Ilfracombe in the Summer months, and while there go for boat trips that would sail from Ilfracombe harbour, I have  many happy memories of going there as child and early teenager, because of these memories I enjoy spending time by the Coast and now live in a Seaside Resort, although I have not been on a boat trip for a while, I'm fascinated both by boats and the Sea.

I remember a few years ago, while on holidays in Porthleven, Cornwall, spending time in the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and had an interesting and enjoyable time there, although one thing I noticed more than others that the boats on display, none of them were in their original context , it was fascinating looking at these boats and reading all about them, but all them weren't doing the job they were designed and build for, yes, being on the water. Porthleven is a lovely, fishing village situated near Helston, and has a very picturesque harbour and I noticed that all the boats were doing the purpose they were designed and build for. Like other seaside holiday destinations, Porthleven has several shops selling goods to tourists, some of these shops sell model ships, they look exactly like the originals, but they could never do, the same job as the original ! they were just for display

For centuries Great Britain has been a maritime nation, and many of our national heroes have been sailors, from the historic figures like Sir Francis Drake, Horatio Nelson, Captain James Cook, to the fictional heroes such as Horatio Hornblower, many of our wars and the battles that we fought have involved fighting on Sea, from fighting the Spanish Armada, The Battle from Trafalgar, The Battle Of Jutland, The Battle of the River Plate. Most of our imports and exports travel by sea, the sea has important part to play into our history, present and future as Great Britain. The sea routes used today both for business and pleasure had to be discovered, and the ships that travel those routes use sea-charts to show them where they are going and how to get there, from the smallest cabin cruiser to the mighty container ship. Yet someone had to go out and navigate the sea in order for these sea-charts to be produced. Many of these men, such as Sir Francis Drake and Captain James Cook, stand tall throughout our history.

We see in our Bibles, countless references to sailing and to sea, from Noah's Voyage, to Jonah and we know that the Lord's Disciples Peter, Andrew, James and John were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, and many of the early missionaries such as Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Mark, Timothy and Luke often travelled by sea to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation to the people of the known world. In Ephesians 4:12, one of the meanings of the Greek Word we translate as equip is prepare a ship for voyage (one of the other meanings, is to set a broken bone).

In the 19th and 20th centuries many people left these shores and other shores to travel the world, to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation, following the example of men like William Carey, John Wesley and George Whitfield, I remember growing up in small Pentecostal Church in the South Wales Valley's, and hearing about many men and women who went forth as missionaries, and being inspired by the reports that came back from our missionaries in places like Nigeria and India, I had the privilege not only of having a retired missionary as one of my Sunday School Teachers, and having two former missionary couples as my Pastor and his wife , but also being related to one of the earliest Pentecostal Pioneers from the United Kingdom that went to Nigeria, who in his later years inspired me to seek and serve God. While a student in Bible School, several of my lecturers had been missionaries, and I know how much they inspired me and my fellow students.

In the early part of the 21st Century, many of us may not have the same opportunities to travel to other lands following in the footsteps of our brothers and sisters who went before us, there are still opportunities we can take, perhaps in short-term mission trips, we have advancements in technology they didn't have anything  like the Internet, I remember being in School in the 1980's and never thought then I could not talk to people in places like America and Australia via a computer and a phone-line but to count them as friends as well. On the other hand we don't have to travel to other lands to be a missionary, we can be missionaries in our villages, towns, suburbs, cities but most importantly in our communities. I know that in the coming days, the Lord will inspire many of us to become missionaries on other towns, cities and regions throughout our own lands but other lands as well.

In the last 12-18 months, I have been greatly inspired by the writings of people like Alan J Roxburgh, Alan Hirsch, Neil Cole, Martin Robinson and Floyd McClung, especially when it comes to being Missional and being challenged by the concept of mission dei or God's Mission. I may not have the opportunities to travel to other lands to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation, but it doesn't mean that there are no opportunities here in the United Kingdom. I've just read something that David Cameron, the Prime Minister here in the UK, said about Broken Britain and Social Recession. (If you would like to read more about Missional, I strongly recommend (Introducing the Missional Church by Alan J Roxburgh). Both my prayer and desire is to see God raise up His People here in the UK and other lands to see the spiritual needs in our own lands, and be willing to follow His direction either to pray, support or go, hopefully to do all, some of us He will send to our neighbours, some of us He will send to our streets, some to our towns and cities, but all He asks are we willing to go to those He will send us ?

Some of us in coming days, He will ask to be Pioneers, and to go where no-one has gone before or for some time, to break into new territory or to go and re-claim territory. I'm now going to share some Scriptures with you, and my Prayer is that God will use these Scriptures to challenge you for the first time or to challenge for you for the thousandth time, and follow his direction, which will not only impact your own live, but impact the lives of others, those who is sending you to.

If you're wondering if my title sounds familiar, it's from Star Trek, the days ahead will be days of challenge, courage and grace but most importantly of opportunity, and I pray that we take the courage and the grace, to take the opportunities those challenges will present to us.

Isa 6:8-9a NIv

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

       And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" 9 He said, "Go and tell this people

Matt 28:19-20 NIv

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Romans 10:14015a NCV

 14 But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them;15 and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent.

Yours by His Grace

Blair Humphreys 

Southport

10 Specific Compliments to Give Your Wife

10 Specific Compliments to Give Your Wife

12:00PM EDT 4/4/2013 ALLPRODAD.COM STAFF

We live in a world defined by negativity. So much of the conversation surrounding politics, education, social challenges and even religion seems to be about “What I’m against!” to the extent that we too easily forget exactly what it is that we value.

It’s the same thing much of the time with marriage. Gripe, complain, nag, whine…. really? Give it a break already! One great exercise in proactive relationship building is the commitment to focus on the positive.

Try the “I promise to say nothing negative to my wife for one entire day” pledge. Better still, try it for one week. Be a servant leader as you model active love.

Along the same lines, go a step further and move beyond merely avoiding the negative and actually be deliberate about the compliments. We think it’s such a good idea we’ve picked ten of our favorite to suggest:

1. “I love talking with you; you’re interesting and funny.” Communication is a key component of a marriage that works. Lose conversation and you lose one-another. Check out this All Pro Dad resource on 10 Ways to Improve Marital Communication.

2. “Today was another one of those days that made me so glad I asked you to marry me.” You enjoy your life together. Make sure she knows it for a fact. Make sure she knows you’d ask her again in a heartbeat.

3. “Your life tells the truth about love.” This is a quote about love for the ages. Some people can be loving, or positive, or generous, or kind. But the way your wife is goes beyond that. If you really “get” your wife, tell her how she is. Tell her every way you know how.

4. “The kind of mom you are makes it so much easier to be the kind of a dad I need to be.”This parenting thing is all about teamwork. Self-doubt is ever present. Be the encourager. Let her know she inspires you. Here are 6 A's of Good Parenting.

5. “Sometimes you are so beautiful that I just want to stand still and look at you.” Go ahead. Make her day. Then do it – look at her like that…

6. “Thank you for being such a hard worker.” Simply acknowledging she works just as hard, if not harder, than you do will go a long way to encourage her.  Just because some in this world will not give her credit for all the labor of love necessary to be a wife and mother does not mean it’s anything other than vitally important.

7. “Thanks for loving me the way you do; you make me want to be a better man.” Okay, so we borrowed this one from Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie, “As Good As It Gets”. But it’s more than a great line - this compliment lets her know she’s inspirational as well as hot.

8. “You’re the reason this place is called ‘home’ rather than just a house.” Your wife puts her heart into the heart of your home. Recognize that. Let her know you appreciate her love and her skill.

9. “Thanks for being my best friend.” Most men own a feeling of real emptiness outside a loving marriage relationship. Tell your wife that you understand what’s going on and that you value her gift of friendship to your life.

10. “Thanks for your honesty.” Many men look at their wives as nags when they’re honest.  And that is true at times for some women.  But for many husbands, your wife’s honesty is gift and a chance to grow.  When your best friend who loves you is open enough to be honest, it’s an opportunity for you to fix something.  And that is invaluable.

All Pro Dad is Family First’s innovative and unique program for every father. Their aim is to interlock the hearts of the fathers with their children and, as a byproduct, the hearts of the children with their dads. At AllProDad.com, dads in any stage of fatherhood can find helpful resources to aid in their parenting. Resources include daily emails, blogs, Top 10 lists, articles, printable tools, videos and eBooks. From AllProDad.com, fathers can join the highly engaged All Pro Dad social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Ordinary Christians in the Hands of the Extra –Ordinary God. Part 2:

Ordinary Christians in the Hands of the Extra –Ordinary God.

Part 2:

Ephesians 3:10 -12 and 16 – 21 NIVUK

 So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him…………… 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen

I grew up in the South Wales Valleys, were the common themes for many were Chapel, Rugby and the Colliery, the threads that would often hold those communities together would be those mentioned above, the hymns of the Chapel such as Guide me, O Though Great Jehovah would be sung with at least equal gusto on a Saturday Afternoon watching the Rugby.

In many ways, our lives would have been influenced and affected by the strong religious traditions of something best described as chapel culture, when we spoke of the church, we would often have of thought of the Anglican Church with their vicars etc., for many people from a chapel background the church was a strange place that could be described it’s church, but not as we know it!.

The traditions of Chapel Culture would be at least influenced by protecting and promoting Welsh Language and Culture, and to distinguish it against the English Language and Culture. I would say that in the Village where the Church I was raised in, is located. Approximately half the Chapels would speak Welsh in all their services. I love Wales, its Language, Culture and its People but there aren’t The Lord who died for my sins and the sins of the entire World, and rose again in Victory and is coming back for us when He comes to reign and rule and establish His Kingdom in its full splendour and glory.

We have made idols of so many things in the Church, whether that be our traditions, heritage and our national or cultural identities, our churches have become monuments to past moves of God, or to the men who God raised up to move his Church forward.  The Church has become known to what we’re against rather than what we for, we fight battles and wars with society rather than supporting and encouraging society, yes there are anti-Christian influences and challenges facing us today, with the prospect of Gay Marriage and the attempts of our politicians to force change in the legal definition of marriage.

When people think of Church they think of a dying religion and something that is part of the establishment. We should stand against the enemy, the devil but our weapons aren’t the weapons or the strategies of the world, see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 .We try to convict the people we meet whose lives aren’t in accordance with scripture of their sin but we aren’t the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin and shows them God’s righteousness see John 16:-8-11 instead we’ve alienated those He sent us to show His Love and Compassion to.

When Jesus walked the streets of the lands of Bible Times,  he wasn’t part of the establishment, whether that was the political or the religious establishment, Jesus is God’s ultimate revolutionary, he isn’t some kind of Jewish Che Guevara, he was and is the Son of God, who came as  baby, lived a normal life, then for the last 3 years of his life, bought God’s message of transformation, hope, redemption, salvation, deliverance and peace to those he meet regardless of their  sexuality,  disability, cultural or ethnic background, he raised up normal men and women, that were often the lowest and sometimes the most despised people in society, like his ancestor King David, who’s mighty men came from those in debt, distress or the discontented, see 2 Samuel 22:3, he died an agonising death on the cross, of all the tens of thousands than were crucified by the Roman and other empires, only one death made a difference, Jesus took the entire sin of the entire world from that day until he day He returns, and died as the sacrifice for not only the sins of the church, but the sins of those yet to know Him. He arose Victorious from the tomb, and entered Heaven after preparing His early disciples and sending the Holy Spirit see John 20 so that His Church may go forward and see people saved, lives transformed, hope restored and renewed and salvation bought to the ends of the earth.

Today, we  the Church like David’s Mighty Men and the early Disciples are God’s Mighty Men and Women of Faith, who have been tasked by our Saviour and Lord to advance His Kingdom and His Church into our streets, neighbourhoods, communities, regions, nations and the nations of the world.

When God commissioned the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8 see here for context. Isaiah 6:8-9 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

Throughout the History of the Church, God has called and commissioned Ordinary People just like You and Me,  he’s not called the seemingly best equipped or seemingly the most talented or indeed the best gifted, when God sent the Prophet Samuel to anoint Israel’s next King he sent him to the home of Jesse in Bethlehem, and when he looked at Jesse’s Sons he saw some great and talented warriors but they weren’t God’s choice see  1 Samuel 16:5-13, God is calling the Ordinary People to rise up for Him see 1 Corinthians 26-29 but let us not be like the Prophet Jonah, who when God called him to Nineveh went in the opposite direction!

Today God is calling again  Whom shall I send, and who will go for us, will we say Here am I send Me, and will we ready to Go to those who sends us and where He sends us ?

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside

Renewed Thinking

Renewed Thinking

Romans 12 The Message ^1-2   So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1-2 The Voice Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. ² Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.

Romans12:1-2 Niv Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary Romans 12:2

The mind must be renewed for him. This is pressed (Rom. 12:2): “Be you transformed by the renewing of your mind; see to it that there be a saving change wrought in you, and that it be carried on.” Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind, a change not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. It is the same with making a new heart and a new spirit—new dispositions and inclinations, new sympathies and antipathies; the understanding enlightened, the conscience softened, the thoughts rectified; the will bowed to the will of God, and the affections made spiritual and heavenly: so that the man is not what he was—old things are passed away, all things are become new; he acts from new principles, by new rules, with new designs. The mind is the acting ruling part of us; so that the renewing of the mind is the renewing of the whole man, for out of it are the issues of life, Prov. 4:23. The progress of sanctification, dying to sin more and more and living to righteousness more and more, is the carrying on of this renewing work, till it be perfected in glory. This is called the transforming of us; it is like putting on a new shape and figure.

On  Facebook, and when we update our Status on Facebook, it asks its users the question “What’s on your mind?”

In the English Language we have one word for Mind, and that word is Mind, I’m sorry for stating the obvious, The Bible was written in two languages,  the first of these was Hebrew which the Old Testament was originally written in, although it was later translated into languages like Aramaic, Greek and so on. The second language was Greek, which the New Testament was originally written in, although it was again translated into other languages, in many ways for the Roman Empire and other Empires of that time especially in the Eastern Mediterranean area, The Greek Language was the lingua franca, we call the Greek Language used then as Koine Greek.

The users of Koine Greek would have used 3 different words that we today would read in our Bibles as the English word “Mind” these are:-

1.   Sophrono or right mind, Strong’s ref 4993 To be of sound mind, sane, self-controlled, serious, moderate, sober-minded, restrained, disciplined, able to reason. From sozo.” , to save” and phren, “ the mind”  see Mark 5:15

2.   Dianoia or a thinking through Strong’s ref 1271 Dianoia combines nous, “mind” and dia, “through” The word suggests understanding, insight, meditation, reflection, perception, the gift of apprehension, the faculty of thought. When this faculty is renewed by the Holy Spirit, the whole mind-set changes from the fearful negativism of the carnal mind to the vibrant, positive thinking of the quickened spiritual mind see Mark 12:30

3.   Sophronismos or a sound mind Strong’s ref 4995, A combination of sos “safe” and phren, “the mind” hence safe-thinking. The word denotes good judgement, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions. It includes the qualities of self-control and self-discipline see 2 Timothy 1:7

For many of us,  our thought patterns have been influenced by what our society and culture think or indeed think of us!,  the influence or propaganda of a non-Christian world view or group think has had or indeed having an undue influence on the way we think as Christian Believers, it’s time we changed the way we think.

Colossians 3:1-3 Esv

 3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

1 Peter 1:13-15 Esv

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, [a] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct

Ephesians 4:17-18 Niv

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Blessings Blair

Changing the way we think Part 1, It's time to change how and why we think in certain ways

Changing the way we think Part 1

Romans 12 The Message ^1-2   So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1-2 The Voice Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. ² Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.

Romans12:1-2 Niv Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary Romans 12:2

The mind must be renewed for him. This is pressed (Rom. 12:2): “Be you transformed by the renewing of your mind; see to it that there be a saving change wrought in you, and that it be carried on.” Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind, a change not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. It is the same with making a new heart and a new spirit—new dispositions and inclinations, new sympathies and antipathies; the understanding enlightened, the conscience softened, the thoughts rectified; the will bowed to the will of God, and the affections made spiritual and heavenly: so that the man is not what he was—old things are passed away, all things are become new; he acts from new principles, by new rules, with new designs. The mind is the acting ruling part of us; so that the renewing of the mind is the renewing of the whole man, for out of it are the issues of life, Prov. 4:23. The progress of sanctification, dying to sin more and more and living to righteousness more and more, is the carrying on of this renewing work, till it be perfected in glory. This is called the transforming of us; it is like putting on a new shape and figure.

Many of us, who read this blog, will also use Facebook, and when we update our Status on Facebook, it asks its users the question “What’s on your mind?”

In the English Language we have one word for Mind, and that word is Mind, I’m sorry for stating the obvious, The Bible was written in two languages,  the first of these was Hebrew which the Old Testament was originally written in, although it was later translated into languages like Aramaic, Greek and so on. The second language was Greek, which the New Testament was originally written in, although it was again translated into other languages, in many ways for the Roman Empire and other Empires of that time especially in the Eastern Mediterranean area, The Greek Language was the lingua franca, we call the Greek Language used then as Koine Greek.

The users of Koine Greek would have used 3 different words that we today would read in our Bibles as the English word “Mind” these are:-

1.   Sophrono or right mind, Strong’s ref 4993 To be of sound mind, sane, self-controlled, serious, moderate, sober-minded, restrained, disciplined, able to reason. From sozo.” , to save” and phren, “ the mind”  see Mark 5:15

2.   Dianoia or a thinking through Strong’s ref 1271 Dianoia combines nous, “mind” and dia, “through” The word suggests understanding, insight, meditation, reflection, perception, the gift of apprehension, the faculty of thought. When this faculty is renewed by the Holy Spirit, the whole mind-set changes from the fearful negativism of the carnal mind to the vibrant, positive thinking of the quickened spiritual mind see Mark 12:30

3.   Sophronismos or a sound mind Strong’s ref 4995, A combination of sos “safe” and phren, “the mind” hence safe-thinking. The word denotes good judgement, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions. It includes the qualities of self-control and self-discipline see 2 Timothy 1:7

For many of us,  our thought patterns have been influenced by what our society and culture think or indeed think of us!,  the influence or propaganda of a non-Christian world view or group think has had or indeed having an undue influence on the way we think as Christian Believers, it’s time we changed the way we think.

Colossians 3:1-3 Esv

 3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

1 Peter 1:13-15 Esv

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, [a] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct

Ephesians 4:17-18 Niv

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside