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

042 – Have you ever thought about your immortal life as already here right now?

Most people think about immortality as something that happens after they die when they get to heaven. But Jesus promised us the kingdom of heaven is at hand – right now. That means our immortality is at hand too.

What if we could see things the way he did? But somehow we don't think we're able to do that. We're all too conscious of our shortcomings and can't imagine seeing, thinking, or acting like Jesus did.

"We have the mind of Christ."

This is one of Paul's famous declarations (1 Corinthians 2:16). If it's really true, and I believe he knew what he was talking about, then we can start to think like Jesus did. It means that we can begin to see our immortal life right now. But how do we do that? It's all a matter of how we see ourselves.

How do you see yourself?

When you look in the mirror you see your reflection. And we usually identify ourselves by how we look, how tall we are, what color of hair and skin we have, etc. But how does God see us? He sees who we are spiritually. He sees us the way He originally made us in the image and likeness of the divine.

In this episode of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast, I talk about the importance of thinking about our immortality, not as something way off in the future, but something that is true about us right now.

You are immortal

The fact is, we are immortal. We can't see or understand this with the five material senses or the human mind. God reveals it to us. We catch glimpses of it when we feel God's love. Your immortal self, your true spiritual identity, is intact and indestructible. It hasn't gone anywhere. It's here right now.

Take some time to consider this profound fact that you are immortal, spiritual, made in the likeness of God. This is true of you in eternity, so it must be true of you now as well.

Let go of identifying yourself in material ways. Think about your spiritual identity, the spiritual characteristics that make you who you are, like love, joy, peace, wisdom, etc.

The more you contemplate who you are spiritually, the more you peace, harmony, and vibrancy you will see in your life.

If you haven't listened to episode 37, you might enjoy it because it talks about these ideas. It's called You Are the Image and Likeness of God. What the Heck Does that Mean?

For all the Bible quotes in this episode, check out the shownotes page: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/042

Thanks so much for listening. Please share it with a friend.

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
  
  

041 – How many times have you heard that Satan was originally an angel?

That's what most people think, and they quote the Bible to "prove" it. The funny thing is though, they take those verses from Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:13, 14 completely out of context.

These passages don't refer to Satan or an angel that fell and became Satan. They refer to the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre. This is obvious when you read the whole chapters.

Who am I to stand up to all those famous preachers that say the devil was an angel?

In this episode I take a close look at these two chapters as well as what Jesus says about who and what the devil is. I have become convinced that Satan is not a fallen angel.

Jesus's definition of Satan is the clincher. Check out John 8:44.

Paul says that the devil masquerades as an angel of light. He wants us to think he was an angel and still has heavenly powers. But it's all a scam, a lie. And it's a lie too many people have believed. He was never an angel. Jesus confirms that by explaining the devil was a murderer from the beginning, not an angel who became a murderer.

The only power the devil has is to tell lies.

The only way for those lies to have power is if we believe them.

I realize this can be a controversial topic because it is human nature to defend what we have been taught by those we trust.

My simple request is that you listen to this episode with a skeptical but slightly open mind. Read Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 with a curiosity of the mind. Ask questions and look for answers in the text. Do some research.

And let me know what you see in the Bible texts. I would love to hear from you.

Here's an article I wrote a while back with some of the same ideas in it: Satan Is NOT a Fallen Angel.

For easy reference, I have put the Bible references quoted in this episode in the shownotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/041.

Why is all this important? It's all about getting the victory over the Satan in your life.

Thanks for listening.

Blessings,
James

P.S. Please share this with a friend. Thanks.

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
  
  

040 – When is it right to question authority?

A friend of mine grew up in a church where she was never allowed to ask questions or question those in charge about teachings or practices. She was told to just accept everything she was told. This was very frustrating to say the least.

Jesus consistently questioned the authority of the religious leaders of his day. It got him into trouble. But that didn’t stop him from taking a stand for what was right.

 How can we follow his example today?

 There are so many issues that are coming to the fore. Old ways of thinking are being challenged on almost every front: 

• political
• religious 
• gender 
• race 
• sexuality
• and so much more

 What once was standard behavior does not always continue as society progresses.

 In this episode of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast, I take a look at some of the ways Jesus challenged the authority of the Pharisees. And how they challenged his authority.

Very quickly you will see that any time we create our own authority through asserting the human ego or will power, that power and influence is short-lived. Jesus gave us the supreme example to follow of depending on God’s authority instead of our own.

 Is it ever okay to question Jesus’s authority? 

The Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus by doing so. But Jesus doesn’t want us to follow him blindly. He wants us to question what he says, to take his ideas and put them into practice in our lives to see if they ring true. 

 It is so important to ask questions of those in authority. There are things that need to be corrected in all areas of society.

 Will you take a stand to speak up for what’s right? If you don’t, who will.

 But you have to start with yourself. What practices and ways of thinking have you bought into that need to be discarded?

To study the Bible verses referenced in this episode, please go to the shownotes page: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/040.

 I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. You can leave a comment all the way at the bottom of the shownotes page. 

 Please subscribe and share this with a friend.

 Thanks so much for listening.

 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
  
  

039 – God is talking. Why don't we hear?

The Bible is full of people hearing the voice of God. And not just the prophets. Regular, everyday people like you and me heard God's voice. Even a pagan king, Nebuchadnezzar, heard God's voice at one point.

Why don't we hear God's voice?

Sometimes we don't want to hear what He/She says. Sometimes we are distracted with our worries and fears or the materialism of the world. It's hard to hear someone call your name if you are listening to really loud music in your earbuds. Just so, it's hard to hear God's voice when we are preoccupied with other things.

But some people still believe we can't hear God's voice. I had a Sunday School teacher in my old church say that we have the Bible and that is enough. So God doesn't still talk to us today.  Not true? Just because this guy never heard God talk to him, doesn't mean God isn't talking.

When God talked to my Grandmother

In this episode I share some personal stories about my grandmother, Mimi, who heard God's voice on more than one occasion. And I share a couple of times when God spoke directly to me as well.

You can hear the voice of God

It may not be some big loud voice from heaven. Sometimes God talks through the gentle breeze in the grass or a gurgling brook. Some people might call in intuition. My mother-in-law used to say, "A little birdie told me..."

I also share some things you can do to help you hear God's voice, so listen to the end.

As always, there are lots of quotes from the Bible. After all this is a podcast about the Bible. Check out the shownotes to study them more closely: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/039.

Here's the blog post I mentioned which refers to some of the experiences in the episode: Does God Talk to You Too?

I hope you are safe and well.

Blessings to you and yours,
James

P. S. Please subscribe at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/podcast

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
  
  

038 – There's a key in the Bible that explains the only way to really love yourself.

It's about reflecting God's love.

But it's way too easy to think of all the reasons why you have a hard time loving yourself. Here are just a few I have struggled with:

• People say it's selfish to love yourself
• You don't feel worthy because of past mistakes
• Thinking you have to be perfect before you or anyone can love you
• A bad relationship that ended because the other person didn't know how to love themselves or you, but you end up thinking you are not lovable when it was their fault.
• A heavy atmosphere of guilt and shame from culture or religion 

In this episode, I share some very personal experiences that helped me learn to love myself. It comes down to learning to love others as well. But the real key is to realize that God is the source of the love and you are not.

Learn to love yourself and others with God's love instead of your human love. It will make all the difference in how you see yourself and others, how you treat yourself and others, and how you love yourself and others.

For all the Bible quotes in this episode, please check out the shownotes: thebiblepseakstoyou.com/038

Thanks for listening. I'd love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of help in any way on your spiritual journey.

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
  
  

037 – Do you see yourself with the mindset of Adam or the mindset of Christ?

The mindset you look at yourself and others with will determine what you see, how you act, and how you think about life.

Did you ever see the movie, The Jungle Book?
It's based on a true story of a boy who was raised by wolves in India and discovered in 1872. The boy had been taught by wolves how to live like a wolf. After he was brought to civilization, he had a hard time learning that he was a human being. Even though he may have thought he was a wolf, he was never a wolf.

We have been taught that we are sinning mortals and it's hard for us to learn that we are actually spiritual, made in the image and likeness of God.

When you start with the premise that it is part of our nature to sin, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you start with the Bible promise that we are made in the image and likeness of God, you begin to realized it is our nature to be good, honest, and pure. It is natural to be like God

In this episode, I talk about the importance of starting with the right mindset, the mindset of Christ. It will make all the difference in your life.

To study all the Scripture references in this week's episode, please check out the shownotes.

And here's an article about the Indian boy who was raised by wolves.

Thanks so much for listening. Please share this with a friend.

Have a great week.

Blessings,
James

P.S. If you have any questions or comments about this episode or about the Bible in general, please feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you.

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
  
  

036 – People are still speculating who Jesus is

Even 2,000 years ago people were trying to figure out who Jesus was. He only told a few people he was the Messiah.

One day, a man was talking to Jesus and burst out with the question, "Why do you keep us in such suspense? If you are the Christ, just tell us plainly."

Wouldn't that have made things so much easier for everyone? Well, not really.

What if Jesus had come right out and told everyone he was the Messiah? Do you think more people would have believed him? Probably not.

Today we have the advantage of the New Testament which shows how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies of the coming Messiah. But people in Jesus's day did not have those resources.

Still, some people in Jesus's day did discover he was the Messiah, even though they didn't know how he fulfilled all those prophecies. How did they figure it out?

In this episode I talk about the only real way to discover and accept that Jesus is the Christ. Unfortunately, some people believe Jesus is the Messiah for the wrong reasons.

The hint is in Matthew 16:16, 17

What Peter said to Jesus is so important, but what Jesus said to Peter is just as important.

It's not what someone else says you should believe that's important but what God reveals to you.
I hope you find this episode helpful. If so, please share it with a friend.

If you'd like to read all the Scripture references in this week's show, check out the shownotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/036.

Thanks so much for listening. If you haven't left a review on Apple Podcasts, I would really appreciate it if you would.

Have a great week,
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
  
  

035 – The real solution to racism is to love like Jesus did.

There is no skin color in heaven. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:50)

Jesus said we should love our neighbors as ourselves. When on earth are we going to learn what that means and then do it?

In this episode, I talk about healing the anger and fear in our people's hearts. Your prayers are powerful healing agents in the world today. You may never know the good you're doing.

The healing of racism is not going to come from legislation, demonstrations, protests and so many of the ways people are responding to the death of George Floyd. As important as these responses may be, they will only be effective if they motivated by a deep spiritual love. If the love is missing, all those efforts at reform will miss the mark.

To conclude this week's episode, I share a poem called, "Teach Me to Love" written back in 1908 by Louise Wheatley Cook Hovnanian. To download a PDF of the poem go to the shownotes at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/035. You'll also find all the Bible verses quoted in this episode.

You might also be interested in a previous episode called: Are You Afraid to Love as much as Jesus Did?

Thanks so much for listening. Please share this with a friend.

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
  
  

034 – What if you could peek through a window and see what it's like in heaven?

Well, this is not some far-fetched idea. Jesus gives us lots of windows to look through so  we can see what's going on in heaven. The cornerstone of his message was that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

In this episode, I talk about the windows we can look through not just to see what is in heaven but to experience the kingdom of heaven here and now.

You already have access to these windows and may have already been looking through them at times. Jesus calls them "Beatitudes."

Wait a minute, you're thinking, I know the Beatitudes. I can't see into heaven with them. Well, maybe it's time to look again and look at them from a fresh perspective.

The word beatitude means a state of blessedness. Jesus was blessing the people listening to him during the Sermon on the Mount. And he is blessing us with these proclamations of blessedness.

Jesus was blessing things that didn't seem like blessings: 

• the poor in spirit
• the mourners
• and those who were persecuted for righteousness' sake 

What on earth is he talking about? Listen to this episode and see if you get some fresh insights.

For the Bible references mentioned, check out the shownotes page: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/034

Thanks so much for listening.
Please share this with a friend.

I hope you are safe and doing well.

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
  
  

033 – This just might be a little controversial...

What did Paul really mean when he wrote, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" (1 Corinthians 6:19  KJV)

In this episode, I get into some nitty-gritty grammar and a tiny little detail most Bible translations miss that completely change the meaning of this favorite verse.

It all has to do with what the words "you" and "thou" mean.

There is something much grander going on in this verse than most Christians realize. Paul wants us to see the big picture instead of just thinking of our own individual faith.

What if everyone who believes in Jesus could appreciate all other believers instead of judging and condemning them because of differences of doctrine? All too quickly we start adding doctrines and theological demands on what it means to be a Christian.

What a difference it would make if all believers would respect and value all other believers, regardless of doctrinal differences? The world would feel the difference overnight.

Are you ready for a little Bible controversy? Please listen to this episode. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. You can contact me at thebiblespeakstoyou.com

To see all the Bible references and other items of interest mentioned in this week's episode, check out the show notes at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/033

Thanks for listening!

God bless,
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