Demolish Fleshly Thoughts The Holy Spirit
- Biblical Examples of Fleshly Thoughts
Jeremiah 32:27 says, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” As said, to God, who created heavens and earth and controls life, death, and fortune and misfortune of mankind, there is nothing impossible.
God can do the things that are not humanly possible and that we cannot even begin to imagine in this three dimensional world.
To have spiritual faith with which we can believe these things, we have to cast off untruths in our heart and break our fleshly thoughts. As long as fleshly thoughts are remaining in us, we cannot obey the things that are not possible by human thoughts. Therefore, if you want to receive answers and blessings, you should first find and cast away your fleshly thoughts.
Some examples are presented to help you find out and cast off fleshly thoughts.
1) Example of Moses
In Exodus chapter 3 and 4, we can see an interesting scene. God calls Moses, who was herding the sheep in the wilderness. The sons of Israel at that time became slaves to Pharaoh of Egypt. They were suffering and praying to God to save them.
God told Moses He would send him to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Upon hearing this, Moses said, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” He said he couldn’t do it.
Moses was raised as a prince in the mighty empire of Egypt, and he knew better than anybody else how strong Pharaoh and his Egyptian army were. Moses did not have an army to fight against Pharaoh, and there was no guarantee that the Israelites would follow him.
But God said, “Certainly, I will be with you.” God says it is not by the ability of Moses but by the power of God everything will be done, and Moses was only to obey.
Moses still did not obey but gave an excuse. He said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” Moses had no clue about whom he had to meet in Egypt, what to tell him, and how to lead the Israelites
out of Egypt. He did not know how to obey.
Knowing this, God told Moses in detail. He told him what God’s name was, whom among Israelites to meet, what he was to tell them, and what to tell Pharaoh. He also told Moses what Pharaoh would do, and how the sons of Israel would come out from Egypt.
Then, what did Moses say? Did he answer, “Amen, I will do so?” He did not. Exodus 4:1 says, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’?” Even though God told him what to do, Moses thought the people would not believe him.
Then, to convince Moses, God told him to throw his staff down. The staff immediately changed into a snake, and when he took it by the tail, it became the staff again. Furthermore, when Moses put his hand inside his cloak and took it out, it was leprous, and white like snow. When he put it in and took it out again, it was restored. Then, God told him to take some water of Nile and pour it on dry ground. The water would change into blood, and by that miraculous sign, people would believe. Now, since God explained this much and showed even signs, Moses must have obeyed, right?
But Moses gave another excuse. “I am slow of speech and tongue.” He was not sure he could persuade the king or the people since he could not speak well. God was patient with him this time also. He told Moses that God, who had made the mouths of men, would be with Moses’ mouth and tell him what to say.
But Moses was still not confident. So even at this time, he said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”
Many people do the same thing. No matter how much God tells you that He will guide you with His power only if you just obey. He shows evidences and yet you still cannot obey if it looks like it is not possible by your thinking.
Of course, it is not that Moses had a lot of fleshly thoughts and gave excuses like these. He did not know very much about God since it was his first encounter, and he had not experienced the power of God himself. Also, his question and attitude were out of his humbleness.
But once Moses made up his mind to obey and left for Egypt, he cut off all the fleshly
thoughts and only obeyed, and he manifested such wondrous works.
Unlike Moses, most people cannot cast off fleshly thoughts easily. Even after listening to the word of God and seeing miraculous works so many times, they still use their fleshly thoughts. Even if they hear God will work only if they obey, they hesitate, and finally act according to their own thoughts and wisdom.
When many people come to me for approval or for my opinion, they confess, “Senior pastor, you receive works of the Holy Spirit fully,” or “I will obey whatever you tell me.” They come with trust in me as a shepherd guaranteed by God and with the hope that I will tell them something hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.
But after they hear from me, they do not trust my word and obey it, but they act with their own thoughts.
Some people asked me, “What is the first priority among many church affairs?” So I answered them, but their reaction later was completely different. They said they wanted to follow my word, but something else was very urgent, so they did it first. When the Holy Spirit let me know something, didn’t He know what the situation would be? If the actions that worker took considering the reality were more proper, he did not have to come to me and ask me in the first place.
They say they believe God confirms the shepherd since they see countless works of God, but when they are faced with actuality, their fleshly thoughts hinder them from obeying.
2) An official who disobeyed the word of Elisha
Those who have such hardened heart and do not either believe or obey even after seeing God’s powerful works will keep on disobeying with their fleshly thoughts and finally fall to death. There was a person like this at the time of Elisha.
The king of Aram attacked the city of Samaria, so those who were confined in the city were in a situation of starving to death. Some women even ate their own babies. In this situation, Elisha came to the king and proclaimed, “Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.”
But one of the retainers could not believe it at all. They did not have power to defeat the army of Aram or receive any support from any other allies. There was no way to bring food from outside. In this situation, how can there be abundant food in one day?
With these thoughts, he spoke a negative word saying, “Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” This brought about very tragic results. He was speaking directly against the word of God proclaimed by Elisha.
Elisha, after hearing his word said to him, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it,” and that is exactly what happened to him.
God made the army of Aram hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army. It was not actual army, but by the power of the almighty God, they heard the sound.
After hearing that sound, the Aramean camp thought a supporting Samarian allied force came to attack them. So, they just ran away leaving all the weapons, food, and everything.
Because of the things that the Aramean camp left behind, the famine in the city of Samaria was resolved immediately, and they could eat abundantly. At the same time, the curse fell on the retainer who spoke against God’s word with his own fleshly thought.
By the command of the king, he was trying to control the people who were running for the food, and people trampled him and he died. So, he saw God’s work but could not eat anything.
Our God does not unconditionally rebuke us for not breaking our fleshly thoughts. First, He shows us evidence, and to the extent that we obey, God lets us experience His works so that we can break our own thoughts.
But those who insist on their fleshly thoughts and stand against God with hardened hearts, even after seeing countless works of God’s power, will finally fall into the way of death.
Such was the case with the retainer of Israel who died according to Elisha’s curse. There was hardly anybody in Israel who had not heard about the works of God’s power manifested through Elisha. Even the king of Israel heard about those powerful works and he himself also experienced some works.
For example, when the king of Aram waged war against Israel, God told Elisha all the
military secrets of the Aramean king. Elisha then informed the king of Israel, so that Israel could send its army beforehand to protect a certain area. Because the king sent his army obeying the word of Elisha, they could overcome a country-wide crisis.
The Aramean king came to know this and thought he first had to capture Elisha. So, he surrounded the city where Elisha was. But God closed the eyes of the Aramean camp, so that they were all captured by the army of Israel.
Therefore, it was not possible for a retainer of the king of Israel to be unaware of the power of Elisha, since the king experienced the works of God through Elisha many times. But still, this retainer had fleshly thoughts and spoke against God’s word, so he fell into death.
- Obedience by Casting off Fleshly Thought
The LORD God declares in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
When God controls something in His wisdom, there are many things that do not agree with human thoughts, but those who cast off their own thoughts and obey the word of God will experience things that cannot be done by human ability. We can see God’s works when we obey God’s word, even though it does not agree with our own thoughts.
1) Example of Peter
The fisherman Peter was fishing in the lake of Gennesaret. He experienced wondrous thing from the first time he met Jesus. He was fishing as usual, but somehow, throughout the whole night he could not catch any fish. He was just maintaining the fishing nets.
Then, Jesus wanted to use his boat to teach the people the word of God. According to what Peter heard, Jesus performed signs and wonders with the power of God, and as he listened to His teaching, he had the trust that Jesus was really a man of God. But then, after Jesus finished His teaching, He told him put out into the deep water and let down his nets
for a catch.
Peter had been a fisherman since his childhood, and he knew better than anybody which part of the lake had many fish. He was an expert in fishing in that place. He worked hard all night but did not catch any fish, but Jesus, who is not even a fisherman, told Peter to do that.
Peter was already tired working all night, and he already finished cleaning his nets, too. How empty and disappointed he would be, if he went out for another catch and come back empty-handed?
A person with strong personal opinions might have said, “Jesus, do you have fishing experience?” Or somebody else might have said, “I know better about fishing,” and just ignored Jesus. Or, still others might have said, “I am finished with today’s work, so maybe later.”
But Peter did not do that. He said in Luke 5:5, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” He immediately obeyed Jesus’ word. Amazingly, Peter’s net was full of fish and the net was almost torn.
Since then, Peter trusted Jesus and became His disciple. One day, those who collected the Temple tax came to Peter to collect the tax. Peter told Jesus about it. Jesus did not give him money, but said in Matthew 17:27, “Go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”
What would you have done if it were you? What fish on earth will be caught at that exact moment by Peter, plus with the coin in its mouth? But when Peter obeyed without using his thoughts, God’s work took place.
Once I went to lead a revival meeting in a church in the countryside. A lot of powerful works, like a bent spine being straightened, took place. And to bless the believers, God commanded them to sow red pepper that year.
God would give abundant harvest if they sowed red pepper. Actually, nobody was thinking of farming red pepper that year. The harvest of red pepper in the previous year
was very bad. They are farmers and had been all their lives. They know very well about farming, so if they used fleshly thoughts how could they obey me telling them to grow red pepper?
But since they witnessed the powerful works taking place through me, and because I told them that God was telling me that, they trusted my word and obeyed it. Those who obeyed had such great harvests that year and received blessings. But those who did not obey thinking that the crop was not good the previous year did not receive blessings.
Jesus’ disciples experienced God’s works by obeying so many times. In Luke 19, when Jesus was going into Jerusalem, He told the disciples to bring a colt. “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’”
Jesus did not even visit that place before, and how does He know that there is a colt? Also, yes, there is a colt, but He did not even pay the owner of it and He told the disciples to untie it and bring it to Him. Maybe they could be accused of stealing. They could not obey if they thought this way, but because they had trust in Jesus, they did not use their fleshly thoughts.
When the disciples obeyed with “Amen” there really was a colt, and as they did what Jesus told them to do, the owner also gave out that colt for free. Likewise, each moment of walking with Jesus was the moment of experiencing wondrous God’s works through their obedience.
Through these experiences, they were trained to break off their fleshly thoughts. So, when they were sent out by Jesus, they could perform powerful works themselves.
Mark 6:7-8 says, “And He[Jesus] summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff no bread, no bag, no money in their belt.”
In Manmin Central Church, those who do not use their fleshly thoughts experience God’s power themselves, because they gain faith by seeing so many powerful works taking
place.
To the extent that they do not use their fleshly thoughts, they are experiencing such wonderful works that they could not even imagine before through Muan sweet water and handkerchiefs. They are giving glory to God by going out to the world only with the handkerchiefs.
But even if you have this kind of experience, you should not be satisfied there, but cast off all remaining fleshly thoughts. You should reveal God’s glory more greatly by obeying with complete faith.
2) Joshua and Caleb
People of Israel who came out of Egypt with Moses experienced numerous miracles until they reached Canaan. The almighty God did everything as Moses prayed. They saw the much feared Pharaoh set them free from slavery after going through the Ten Plagues brought down from heaven.
They saw the Red Sea parted in two and crossed the sea on foot themselves. They saw bitter, undrinkable water change into sweet water. They also saw water spring out when Moses struck the rock. They saw Manna fall from heaven, and quail suddenly filled the ground and they ate. Pillars of cloud and fire protected them day and night, so they always saw God was with them.
But still, they grumbled and complained against God just before entering the land of Canaan, talking badly about that land. They also cried saying the people in that land were great and big, and they were just like locusts in front of them, so they would all die anyway if they fought.
They forgot everything that God did for them: bringing down Ten Plagues, parting the Red Sea, and so on. They forgot God gave them water from a rock, and that they ate the food that came down from heaven. They considered God as an incapable God in a moment, although God showed them so many signs and wonders.
Among them, only Joshua and Caleb confessed looking at everything with faith, not with fleshly thoughts. Numbers 14:8-9 says, “If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our
prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
With this confession, while all the sons of Israel died in the wilderness, only Joshua and Caleb could enter the land of Canaan.
We can apply this Biblical example to ourselves today. Just like the Israelites, even though you witness signs and wonders much greater than those of Moses, if you do not change your heart and cast off your fleshly thoughts, you cannot either obey or receive blessings.
We have to cast off all fleshly thoughts and obey only. We should not be like the sons of Israel who disobeyed, but be brave like Joshua and Caleb, so that we will be children of faith who can confess, “They are our prey, for God is with us.”
If you have the faith that even the things that are impossible for men are possible for God and trust God, you will be able to demolish your fleshly thoughts, and you will show your deeds of obedience to the things that you cannot actually obey. According to the extent of the obedience, you will receive different measures of blessings.
3) The example of wife of a man of the sons of the prophets
We can verify this with the example of a woman portrayed in 2 Kings Chapter 4. At the time of Elisha, a man of God with amazing power, a man of the sons of the prophets died, leaving behind a great amount of debt with his wife and two sons. Since they could not pay off this debt, both sons were about to be sold as slaves. The wife asked Elisha for help, and he asked her what she had in her house.
At that time, she had only one bottle of oil. Elisha said to the woman, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.”
Why did he tell her to borrow all the vessels, knowing how much oil was in just one bottle of oil? But this woman did not use her fleshly thought but obeyed. She borrowed many vessels and began to pour the oil. Then, amazingly, the oil did not stop flowing out and filled all the vessels.
We do not know exactly how many vessels she borrowed, but anyway, as many as she borrowed, she received that amount of blessing. She sold the oil in all the vessels so that she could pay off the debt and gain some money to make their living with her two sons.
I experienced a similar kind of thing when I was opening the church. I needed three million won, which was a great amount, to contract the church building at that time, but I only had seven thousand won (US$ 7) in my hand. But God already had a plan for the sanctuary.
One of the members decided to give to God an offering of three million won before, but she had not been able to do it until then. Then, God moved her heart to offer it at that moment for the sanctuary.
God did not just tell her to give, but told her the way to do it. At that time, she put her house up for sale, but it had not been sold for two years, and there seemed to be no chance of selling it. For the two years, the price of the house kept on going down, from 22 million won to 15 million won, but nobody wanted to buy it.
But God let her know by the Holy Spirit that after fasting for three days, if she put it for sale again, increasing its price as much as her faith, God would let her sell it, so that she could give her vowed offering from that increased amount. To think about the reality, it was not understandable since the house was not selling even though she had lowered the price very much.
Although it did not make sense by fleshly thoughts, she obeyed because it was word of God. But she only increased two million won saying it was the most her faith could ask. I suggested two million won is maybe too little, so she added one more million won and put it on sale at 18 million won.
The house was obviously sold as God said. A man who wanted to buy this house appeared that week. He said, he had wanted to buy the house since long ago, but he could not because he had not had enough money.
He was anxious that the house might have already been sold, so he hurried to buy it. He immediately signed the contract saying he was happy that the price was much lower than he had thought.
Finally, she could offer the vowed offering after receiving the blessing as much as she
demolished her thoughts and showed her faith. Through this offering, we could contract the first sanctuary. If she had shown greater faith and increased the price by more than five million won, it would definitely have been sold.
But just as the widow borrowed the vessels as much as her faith, her blessings also came upon her as much as she did not use her thoughts but showed her faith. You will experience the power of God who is limitless to the extent that you do not use your thoughts but show your faith.
The widow could obey Elisha’s word because she had heard about the countless works of God’s power manifested through Elisha. Through that evidence, she believed that Elisha was a man of God, and his word was the same as the word of God Himself, and so, she could obey his word.
- You will experience blessings and power by obeying without fleshly thoughts
When people demolished their thoughts by seeing the miraculous works manifested through Elisha and obeyed Elisha’s word, they experienced God’s works. In the same way, Jesus’ disciples came to experience amazing works to the extent that their fleshly thoughts were broken down through the power of Jesus.
It is especially true of Peter who had a brave character and could experience more things than other disciples with his obedience and not using his thoughts. He once got a coin from the mouth of fish and brought the colt on which Jesus rode.
Furthermore, Peter even walked on water because he obeyed the word of Jesus without having any thoughts. When Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he had faith that he could also walk on water only if Jesus commanded him to do so. When Jesus commanded him to come, he immediately obeyed. He got off the boat and down to the water. He was really able to walk on water. But on the way, he came to have his thoughts. When he saw the waves and wind, he had fear, and as soon as he had his own thoughts, he began to sink into the water.
God the Father is surely almighty, but we can experience His power only as much as
we do not utilize our thoughts. When we obey without using our thoughts, we can even walk on water with God’s power. But at the moment we have our own thoughts, we begin to sink.
Fleshly thoughts bind us in the world of flesh, blocking us from experiencing God’s power. Only if we throw away this chain called fleshly thoughts, we can experience God’s detailed works and guidance.
For example, when we go to overseas crusades, if there is any sudden change in schedule, then we have to get accommodations and transportation in a hurry. But, in most cases, it is almost impossible to get them without prior reservations. How troublesome is it if we cannot get accommodation in another country?
But because our workers have always experienced God’s power, they did not use their thoughts. If they believed that God had already prepared the way and went ahead, God opened ways for them.
Isaiah 30:21 says, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Our God wants to guide all His children to the way of prosperity and blessings. He wants us to straight away take the way that is pleasing to God without going to the left or right, and become spiritual warriors quickly, and enjoy abundant blessings.
So, during the Old Testament days, before the Holy Spirit came to them, God let His will be known through prophets who were communicating with Him. When the people of God believed and obeyed the words of the prophets, they were guided by God and could receive prosperity and blessings.
Also, at the time of Jesus, when people understood the will of God and obeyed it through Jesus, they could experience amazing, powerful works. Today, the Holy Spirit in your heart lets you know the will of God. Anyone who pays attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit and obeys it, he will experience wonderful power of God in all matters to lead a powerful Christian life.
It is not that only those with great faith will be able to hear the voice and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit. All of you who are saved should be able to do it. All God’s
children should break their thoughts and obey God’s word only, so that they will not go to the left or the right but be guided only to the way of blessings.