Seeking His Mind, C. R. Oliver [phonics reader txt] 📗

Seeking His Mind

Introduction: 
          Plenty of evidence can be found among both the Israelites and the early church for seeking the mind of the Lord. When faced with issues, wisdom directed both entities to stop and find the path of His thinking. Here is a passage in Leviticus which grabs one's attention along this line.

Leviticus 24:10-14
Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought each other in the camp. 11 And the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed; and so they brought him to Moses. (His mother's name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 12 Then they put him in custody, that the mind of the LORD might be shown to them. 

13 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14 'Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.'

Yes, Israel waited on the Lord, during the days of Moses, to find what He wanted. Imagine! (Acknowledging His ways as higher than theirs, they did not move without searching out His will.) 

Assuredly, the sentence passed down from the heavens was not easy or compromising, but it was plainly understood. Moderns often think these "ancient Ones" lacked spiritual understanding, because they did not have the New Testament to base their ideology upon. (Advanced theology has been touted to have placated one's need to fall before the throne and ask for His reasoning. After all, where is the congregation that stops all activity and falls before God to seek His wisdom and then, will only move when He answers?) 

Early in his reign, King David would not go into battle without knowing the "mind of the Lord."

2 Sam 5:17-6:1 Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 18 The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?"

And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand."

20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 21 And they left their images there, and David and his men carried them away. 22 Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and He said, "You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." 25 And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

(Think of the anxious soldiers awaiting the "marching sound in the tops of the mulberry trees." Consider the assurance that the rushing wind gave them. Their hearts were confident of victory, the moment the sound started.) David did as the Lord commanded him. Talk about moving with conviction, determination and fire-the swelling ingredients of the moment gave vent to a course and a cause from which none of his troops wished to turn. Unity was integral to their situation and it was a unity of spirit-the kind the church should possess. 

Fly into the domain of modern religion now and look at their efforts to arrive at unity-mostly without a clear understanding of the will of God. Look at the disastrous results of indebted congregations that could have prospered under a "divine unction." Realize the moments in one's personal life where decisions have been reached apart from a "heavenly imperative." Multiply such travesty in terms of national scope, with governments devoid of spiritual direction. View world religious organizational processes that seek to contravene huge moral and social issues with powerless solutions, all because they did not inquire of the Lord. 

Deep in the heart of Jesus' half brother there was housed an answer to much of the modern dilemma.

James 1:4-8
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of youlacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Our generation lacks wisdom, but who among us will stand on the Word of God and acquire it by faith based on the assurance of, "it will be given to him." Deep within this scripture is the premise that God will answer, give and not scold anyone who comes with a steadfast faith filled heart. 

David never doubted that God would answer him. The people in Moses' day did not doubt that they would hear and know the "mind of the Lord." Upper room saints waited with confidence until the "rushing mighty wind" and "cloven tongues of fire" came. They determined they would not utter one word to an inquiring world until they were baptized in the Spirit. 

Today's church-attendees find the admission of their lack of Godly wisdom a threat to their ego. (It is a challenge to "receive from heaven" when the noise of earth fills the ear.) 

Hear again as James unfolds the power of "that kind of wisdom." None of the true works of God can be accomplished without "this kind of wisdom." To think that the work of the church can be accomplished without His wisdom is to stray.

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Being removed so far from God's Wisdom has caused those elements which pour from it (pure, peaceable, gentle etc.) to be absent in homes, schools and churches. Societies in general, show few examples of having been influenced by these traits. None of the descriptive elements of true wisdom are displayed in media (internet, TV, movies, music) or the montage called "modern living." 

Law makers in most countries seek to strangle the last vestige of the fruits of God's Wisdom from their populace. The early founders of the U.S. have been marginalized and framed as "old world," in an attempt to minimize their influence and dependence on God and His word. The Wisdom displayed by the founders came from above, and the Constitution and governmental framework of America was not simply the issuance from their own intellect. Erase as the social politicians may try, the higher Wisdom of God stands above their philosophic conundrums. The path of leadership's lower level conclusions will lead to their destruction, and the nations which follow them will suffer great loss. The cadre of consequences for pursuing "worldly Wisdom" comes from the realm of the demonic. It becomes low level thinking at its highest. (For instance, the increase of knowledge emanating from technology is basically shallow and lacks spiritual depth in how to use it. This is why its end result is an enslavement of it adherents through indoctrination and surveillance. Through its flow is a worldwide unity through cyber language which is based on Worldly Wisdom. The techno-universe has been founded on the same principles as Babel, and its mind set is the same. So, its end result will be the same.) 
Jehovah God reads the intent of the heart and searches the mind of individuals and societies. Social Mind created the ancient tower and dictated its goal of elevating man to rule over a domain devoid of God's Wisdom. It failed. 

Babel would not have been destroyed if its intent had been pure, holy, peaceable, gentle, yielded, merciful and for the glory of God. If language confusion was its result, what will be the result of our insult by Godless science?

1 Chronicles 28:9 David's words to Solomon
'As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. '

In order to see things a bit clearer, let us consider Job. Job's persistence to know God's wisdom--His plan and purpose--caused the Lord to reveal His vastness.

Job 38:35-37
Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, 'Here we are!'? 
36 Who has put wisdom in the mind? 
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?

Men need Wisdom from higher realms, and there is only one source. Heavenly Wisdom is just more expansive than worldly wisdom in that it operates on a higher plain. But, the secret realms of God's power are made available only to His Holiness Ones (as in the case of Job).

Testimonies abound of those who have achieved break-throughs in science and technology by prayer and supplication. (The orbiting satellites that carry much of the world's media was achieved by supernatural means. [I have heard the man responsible for the small dish receivers tell how God enlightened his mind after weeks of prayer.])

We need, more than anything else, to seek the Higher Wisdom of God for present day solutions. 

The study of "this kind of Wisdom" requires more than hunting through scripture for those verses which repeat the word. Such a study must include references to such words as "wise," "thoughts," "mind," "intent," "heart." 

Godly Wisdom is an expansive study including the miraculous and the mysterious as well.

A great example of seeking the mind of the Lord was John G. Lake. Although thousands of miracles were attributed to him and his close walk with God became well known, he sought to enter a realm of being beyond any area probed by man. He desperately sought God's understanding of that which stood as a wall between Him and the exercise of greater wonders. He hounded God for the answer, and I believe God showed him, but on the other side. He died at age 65.

God will reveal Himself and will impart His wisdom to His saints! It is His choice of when and where. Again, David is an example of God sharing His mind when David engineered the Temple.

1 Chronicles 28:11-12
Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its