The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus

082 –It's time to open your spiritual eyes

Look around you. What do you see? Your computer, your smartphone? If you're on a walk in the woods, you see the trees, the rocks, the gurgling stream.

Now be really observant. Do you see everything there is to see, where ever you are? At first you may  think you take it all in. But there's no way to see everything.

Can you see the stuff in your desk drawer when it's closed? Can you see what's behind that tree or the big rock up ahead? Or what about the inside of an apple you just picked up to eat?
There's no way to see everything with your eyes.

But there are other things you can't see even though they are all around. Well, I shouldn't call them "things," because they're spiritual.

For example, can you see the love you have for your family, or God's love for you? You can see the effects of that love, but not the love itself.

Open your spiritual eyes

When Elisha was surrounded by the Syrian army, his servant was afraid. But the prophet prayed for God to open the young man's eyes so he could see. Suddenly the servant saw horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

They were there all along, but the man couldn't see them with his material eyeballs. Elisha did see the horses and chariots of fire. That's why he wasn't afraid.

Jesus saw the kingdom of heaven at hand

When Jesus's disciples were afraid they were going to drown in a storm at sea, they woke Jesus up. But Jesus wasn't afraid of what the material eyes saw. Using his spiritual vision he saw the kingdom of heaven at hand, where there are not storms, no danger, no fear.

Jesus rebuked what the material eyes saw, when it was not in tune with God's kingdom.

Can we learn to use our spiritual eyes?

Of course. You may not see horses and chariots of fire, but you can discern God's presence. You can feel God's love and protection.

And you don't have to wait until there's a terrifying army surrounding you or a life-threatening storm about to sink your boat. Even when everything is going well, we still need to use our spiritual vision to see God being in control of our lives.

Have you ever had an experience when God "opened your eyes" to see something that the material eyes can't see, when you discerned something that no one else saw?

This happened to me when I was studying in southern France during my junior year in college. A group of friends decided to climb Mt. Sainte Victoire, a mountain near Aix-en-Provence. But the weather did not cooperate at all.

To hear the story of how God protected us during a terrible electric storm with lightning bolts flashing right above our heads, check out this week's episode of the podcast.

If you'd like to refer to the Bible verses quoted this week, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/082.

I'd love to hear about when God has revealed things to your spiritual eyes. Please contact me. I'd love to hear your story.

Thanks for listening and for sharing this episode with a friend.

Have a great week.

Blessings, 
James

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

081 – How would you feel if Jesus spit on you?

I know, it sounds kind of gross. But once Jesus actually did spit on a blind man who had come to him to be  healed.

If you were that man, it must have been quite a shock to hear that tell-tale guttural sound coming from Jesus's throat and then suddenly feel the warm gooey mess in your eyes.

Spitting was a sign of contempt and rebuke. Was Jesus showing contempt for this man?

Not at all.

By the way, the man was healed and could see clearly.

Not a bad result from getting spit on.

In this week's episode I answer this question and explain what Jesus was really spitting on.

Jesus heals a man born blind

There's another time Jesus healed a blind man by spitting. Really, it does sound odd doesn't it?

But Jesus never had a cookie cutter approach to prayer, healing, or how to deal with a given situation.

In this case the man had been born blind. Jesus's disciples thought that perhaps the man's parents had sinned and their son was being punished. They even were wondering if the man himself had somehow sinned before he had been born, which caused his blindness.

Jesus addressed these misconceptions head on in what he said and did. And once more he spit, this time on the ground. He made a little mud from the spit and then anointed the eyes of the blind man and told him to go wash it off.

The man did what he was told. And when he came back, he could see clearly!

Why did Jesus spit on the ground?

Why did he put mud on the man's eyes? Why did he tell the man to go wash it off?

What did all this odd behavior have to do with the man being healed?

That's what this week's episode is all about.

And of course the next question is: Can we imbibe the spirit of Jesus and pray with the same spiritual authority he did? Can we expect the same results?

Jesus has given us an example and expects us to follow him in our words and actions.

DISCLAIMER: This does NOT mean you should go around spitting on people to heal them. But when you pray with the spirit of what Jesus was doing when he spit, you will see the healing power or God in your life.

To see all the Bible citations in this week's episode, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/081.

Thanks so much for listening and for sharing this with a friend.

If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you.

Blessings,
James

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

080 – Have you ever missed an opportunity God gave you?

I certainly have. It feels like such a waste, doesn't it?

Sometimes I have acted too soon and sometimes I have responded too late to do what God wanted me to do.

It reminds of what happens with my three peach trees.

It's spring time here in the United States. The weather is warming up. The flowers are starting to bloom. AND my peach trees are in blossom. That means I will have lots of tasty peaches to eat later in the summer.

Unfortunately, some of the peaches always get knocked of the tree before they get ripe. And invariably, some of the peaches will over-ripen on the tree, fall to the ground and rot. Yuck. What a mess. What a waste!

But usually, even though some fruit is lost, it always amazes me how productive my peach trees are each year.

So, I was thinking about the bushels of peaches each year and that reminded me of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22, 23:
           "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
           gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Sometimes the fruit of the Spirit, which God gives us, is bountiful and we use these gifts and the opportunities that come with them wisely.

Just like some of the peaches fall to the ground before they're ripe, we sometimes do something before God tells us and that opportunity is like the little green peach that falls to the ground before it's ripe.

Other times, it seems like we waste the opportunities God gives us by waiting too long to follow His directions. It's kind of like the peaches on my tree that aren't picked when they're ripe and they rot instead.

We can either act too quickly or too slowly to God's plans for us and the opportunity is lost.

But you know what I do with those unripe and over ripe peaches? I rake them up and add them to the compost pile. They decompose and then offer nourishment for next year's garden.

So when you mess up and don't do something God has given you to do, it's not great, but it's the end of the world. You can put that unripe or rotten opportunity into your "spiritual compost pile." All that was bad about that experience will rot away, and what is left is God's love and your desire to do what is right (which was there all along).

You can take this "spiritual compost" and apply it to the next task at hand. You can take the lessons learned and the humility gained forward with you and it will bless all you do. Just like adding regular compost to your garden will help the vegetables and flowers grow better.

I hope you enjoy this week's episode. For all the Bible verses quoted, check out the show notes at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/080.

Thanks so much for your support!

Blessings,
James

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

079 – Have you ever gotten yourself in trouble by doing what you wanted to instead of what God wanted?

All too often, we do what we want and them complain when things go wrong.

Or we tell God what we want to happen. And we tell Him exactly how it should happen.

We talk to God like He's an old man who is hard of hearing. We talk loud and repeat ourselves to make sure He hears our prayers.

How's that workin' for you?

There's a much better way to pray. It has to do with humility and listening for what God has in mind for you instead of what you want or think is best.

God's will for you

In this week's episode, I explore some ways to discern what God's will is for you. Whatever you have imagined and planned for yourself, God has something much better in store for you. 

Here are some things that can help you discover what God's will for you is, both in the every day choices we all have to make, as well as the bigger choices that change the direction of our lives.

• Ask God: What do You want me to do?
• Be willing to let go of your personal opinions about what should happen
• Trust in God instead of your own abilities to find an answer or solution instead of trusting in yourself, your own abilities, your bank account, other people, etc.
• Does what you're praying for go against something Jesus said?
• Are you telling God what has to happen?
• Have enough humility to admit you don't know the answer/solution

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

This line from the Lord's Prayer is a litmus test to discover if something is God's will or not. Look at your decision through this line of the prayer. Is what you are thinking about something that would be in obedience to God's will in heaven?

Woah! That's a pretty high standard, isn't it? It forces the question whether you really do want to do God's will or not.

But, assuming you really do want to do God's will, the Lord's Prayer as a whole is a wonderful way to figure out if something is God's will. Does what you're thinking of doing give glory to God and His kingdom? Does it acknowledge God as the source of your daily needs? Is there a spirit of forgiveness (if needed)? Do you ask God for help when you're tempted to do something wrong or do you just do whatever you want?

Why should we strive to obey God's will?

God has a bigger perspective than we do about what is good for us and what we are capable of doing. It may not always be easy to do what God wants you to, but the joys of life will be much more abundant when you do.

What makes it hard to want to obey God's will is that we have to give up our own will. Back to the Lord's Prayer. When you pray for God's kingdom to come, that necessarily means that you are praying for your little kingdom to go away. When you pray for God's will to be done in earth as it is in heaven, it means you are praying for your will not to be done on earth.

It takes humility to give up what we want. But there is nothing more rewarding.

So march yourself down to the bakery and order a nice slice of humble pie. Nothing tastes better once you sink your teeth into it.

To review the Bible quotes in this week's episode, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/079.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments about today's episode. I'd love to hear from you.

Blessings,
James

P. S. Please share this with a friend.

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

078 – Do you have to die and go to heaven before you see Jesus?

That's what a lot of people believe. In fact, I have a friend who can't wait to die so he will get to see Jesus in heaven.

But Jesus never said we have to die to experience heaven. He said the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And he emphasized the fact that the kingdom of God is within us. That means it's here right now. We just have to learn to perceive what the Holy Spirit is revealing to us.

And by the way, Jesus never said we have to die to see him either.

When will we see Jesus?

In this week's episode, I delve into some of the common beliefs about seeing Jesus after we die and point out that there's a much better to "see Jesus" right now, every day.

And by the way, just seeing Jesus is not going to solve your problems. Lots of people saw him 2,000 years ago, but they didn't really see him. They didn't see who he is or understand him.

Even his disciples, who saw him every day, did not always understand him or see him clearly. They were often full of doubts and fears.

Do you want to see Jesus?

The best way to see Jesus is to follow his example, have compassion on people, and minister to them the way  he did.

In fact, this is exactly what Jesus said is the best way to see him. Referring to the time when he would separate the sheep from the goats, those who ministered to those in need and those who didn't, Jesus said that those who had helped others had actually helped him. And he added that those who didn't help others did not help him.

The "goats" complained that if they had seen Jesus, they would have helped him. They didn't get his point.

See Jesus face to face today

What if you treated everyone you met the way you would treat Jesus? I know that's quite a big IF. But it is possible to strive for that goal. Think of your family, your friends, the folks at work, school, and church, the strangers you pass on the street, everyone you come in contact with. What if you loved them the way you love Jesus? What do you think would happen?

What if just a few people did that? What if our politicians could pull that off? What a different place the world would be.

I encourage you to quit waiting to see Jesus. Start seeing him right now in everyone you meet.

And let me know how it goes.

To check out all the Bible verses in this episode, go to the show notes at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/078.

Thanks so much for listening and sharing this with a friend.

Have a great week.

Blessings,
James

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

077 – Where will you celebrate Easter this year?

I invite you to spend it in "the garden" with Jesus.

It was in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus completely surrendered to God's will with that famous prayer: Not my will but Thine be done.

And it was in another garden, near the place of his crucifixion, where he was buried. And of course it's in this second garden where he rose and talked to Mary Magdalene.

In this week's episode I talk about...

• The significance of these events taking place in a garden setting
• What the origin of the Hebrew word for garden reveals about our relationship with God
• The contrast between how Adam and Eve dealt with sin in the Garden of Eden and how Jesus dealt with sin in Gethsemane and the Garden of the Tomb
• How we can "meet" Jesus in the garden of resignation and the garden of resurrection this Easter

To read all the Bible verses mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes page at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/077.

Thanks for listening. Please share this with a friend.

Have a wonderful Easter

Blessings,
James

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

076 – The Bible says a lot about atonement.

There are many theories about what the atonement really is. And one of the most popular ones has only been around since the 1500s.

In this week's episode, I talk with Keith Giles about his new book, Jesus Unforsaken: Substituting Divine Wrath with Unrelenting Love. In it, Keith explores the history of various atonement theories and explains how they differed from the teachings of the early Church.

Here are some of the things Keith and I discussed:

• His journey in and out of the pulpit
• How he started a church that gave away all its collections to the poor
• What the gospel actually is (Hint: it's not the atonement)
• His gradual deconstruction from believing in a wrathful God to knowing God as a loving Father who forgives freely 
• How the penal substitution theory of atonement (i.e. Jesus died on the cross in your place and God demanded a blood sacrifice to cleanse you from your sins), which is so popular with many Christians today was formulated by John Calvin in the 1500s and wasn't part of the early Christian Church's teachings
• Why so many churches are fixated on how sinful people are
• Worm-free Christianity
• Why Jesus was actually crucified
• Why the cross is about so much more than just forgiveness of sins
• The full scope of the atonement Christ provides for us

DISCLAIMER: This podcast episode may tip over some of your prized sacred theological cows. Proceed only if you are willing to look at things from a fresh perspective with an open and curious, but mildly cautious mind.

To study all the Bible quotes in today's episode, and there are more than usual, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/076.

I would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode whether you agree or disagree with Keith. 

Thanks for listening. If you know someone who will enjoy this episode, please share it with them. 

Have a great week.

Blessings,
James

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

075 – Jesus said to Nicodemus "You must be born again."

This is one of the most often quoted verses in the Bible. And rightly so! Jesus wanted Nicodemus, and all of us, to know who we are as children of God and where we come.

It's about our discovering our spiritual origin, not about somehow getting back into your mother's womb and being born again literally, like Nicodemus thought.

What it means to be born again

The phrase "born again" means several things.  The Greek word for "again" can mean 

1. from the beginning
2. again, repeated
3. from above, from God, heaven

Unfortunately, no English word conveys all those meanings. And even Nicodemus did not understand the depth of what Jesus was getting at. Jesus wants us to understand that God is the source of our birth. 

What if you could go back in time and "from the beginning" (see #1 above) the love of God and the Spirit re-birthed you at every point in your life? To be born again is to be completely purified and transformed by God's love and grace.

And that begs the question...

Is being born again a one time event?

Some people believe strongly that it is and others believe it's a life-long process. But maybe that's not so important as the fact that it happens at all. And once it does, you can't stop there. You need to continue to follow Jesus in your everyday life.

It's like the sunrise. Sure, the sunrise itself takes just a few minutes, but once the sun pops above the horizon, it doesn't just sit there the rest of the day. It continues its journey across the sky until it sets.

And the next day, the sun goes through the exact same process. What if being born again is like the sunrise? What if every day we feel reborn in the Spirit? What if every day we experience a the purifying presence of God's love and grace in our lives?

This week's episode explores these ideas and many more. If you would like to study all the Scripture references mentioned, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/075.

Thanks for listening. As always, I would love to hear from you if you have any questions or comments. 

And please share this with a friend who would appreciate the message.

Have a great week!

Blessings,
James

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

074 – True worship is deeply spiritual

This week's episode takes you on a journey back to Jacob's well when Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.

Imagine for a minute that you are there as one of Jesus's disciples and how you felt when you saw your Master talking to "that woman."

But when you found out what they were talking about, you realized that Jesus had just revealed a powerful truth: God is Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth.

What is true worship?

Jesus was very specific in how he defined worship and that we must worship the Father. It's not about where you are or how you hold your hands, or a certain ritual. True worship is in the heart.

Jesus knew that we can go through the outward motions and say the right words, but it's what's going on inside our thinking that matters.

True worship changes us. It purifies us. It baptizes us in God's love. And it transforms the way we see and treat others.

How do you worship?

When you worship, is it a function of the human mind and intellect? Is it about how many Bible verses you know and can quote by memory? Is it about how elaborate your prayers are?

Hopefully not.

The best way to worship is not just with your human mind. Have you ever thought about worshiping God the way Jesus did? Paul says we have "the mind of Christ." Isn't it time to use it?

That means we can worship like Jesus

Since we have the mind of Christ, we can worship God the way he did. We can love the way Jesus did. And our lives will bear the fruit of the Spirit the way Jesus did.

Worshiping God means loving all God's children

When you know God as infinite Spirit, filling the universe with the divine presence, you will worship  Him in spirit and in truth. And you will be able to help people in the same way Jesus did.

When the "Samaritan woman" of today comes to you, you will not run away  or deem her unworthy of your attention. You will see the opportunity to help someone and share the love of Christ.

To study the Bible verses quoted in today's episode, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/074.

I would love to hear your thoughts about worshiping God. 

Have a great week.

Blessings,
James

P.S. Please share this with a friend.

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

073 – How do you make important decisions?

If you're like me, you make a list of all the pros and cons of all the possible choices.

You go round and round trying to figure out what to do. You ask for advice from friends, family, and maybe even an advisor. But there are too many good options and there's no way to know which one is best.

In this week's episode, I share several experiences where I was in that exact situation. I had some life-important decisions to make. I had changed my mind at least 20 times. But I had no clarity.

I had prayed all this time but I was too close to the circumstances. In desperation, I finally prayed, "God, what will bless the most in the long run?" When I uttered those words, the answer came instantly.

When we step back from what we want and ask God to show us what will bless the most, it changes the motives of our prayers. It's no longer about us, but about what will glorify God the most.

So, how do you make important decisions?

What if, in every prayer and every action, your motive was to glorify God instead of just get what you wanted or thought the solution was?

How would that make a difference in your life?

The wonderful thing is, when you glorify God, God will glorify you.

Thanks for listening. If you have any comments of questions about today's episode, please contact me.  I'd love to hear from you.

To see all the Bible verses quoted this week, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/073.

Have a great week.

Blessings,
James

P.S. Please share this with a friend.

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here