Subj: Your Questions
Date: 07/16/98
To: xxxxx
Pastor Sheila,
Explain, What I am to do, when I am asked about something concerning the scriptures? Since you say that I am teaching from the carnal mind, your materials, and that I am teaching from Satan spirit. It's confusing now. I don't know what to say now. I don't want to be teaching from the carnal mind. Should I continue or remain silent?
PASTOR SHEILA: I have asked the Lord what to tell you with regard to your teaching ministry, but as yet have not heard from Him, so I will share general principles and my experience-based opinions with you.
Tell the Lord that it is your desire to not teach out of your carnal mind, and ask Him to seal your lips as to any words that He does not want you to speak. I would make that general fleece with the Lord, and reaffirm it frequently. I would also make a fleece with the Lord that He direct your studies, and be the author of the messages that you preach. Aside from this general fleece, I would pray this prayer every time you prepare to preach.
To answer your question, after doing all of the above, when someone asks you a question, answer to the best of your ability.
Should I just read your materials, and wait? or should I continue to speak, and allow Christ to form in me. What am I do ? Are there any steps that I should be following that I need to know?
PASTOR SHEILA: I would not stop preaching unless I had many witnesses that the Lord was telling me to do this. It is never of God to wait passively. I would continue on with my life as it has been, continue to seek the Lord about overcoming the carnal mind within, and studying the Doctrine of Christ.
Before the carnal mind can be defeated, you must recognize her. This can be accomplished three ways: It is possible for you to recognize her yourself, either by hearing from the Lord Jesus, or from Christ within you; You can recognize her from listening to tapes that expose her; I can expose the operation of your carnal mind, as she manifests in our relationship.
Once you start to recognize her, you must renounce her, disagree with her, execute the Scriptural judgments against her, and turn towards the corresponding thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Can I be seduced to turn away from the Lord by teaching your material not in the mind of Christ?
PASTOR SHEILA: Yes. What is happening to you, xxxx, is much bigger than your preaching the Doctrine of Christ. The Lord is calling you to represent Him, to be His ambassador, and this is much greater than preaching alone, although it includes teaching and preaching. It is a great honor to be called to this spiritual office, but the price that we pay to be sons of God, is the death of our carnal mind. This means that we must die to all of our own ambitions and desires so that He can accomplish His purposes through us.
This means that we must give up every ambition and plan that we have for our own life, which are the plans of our carnal mind, so that Christ Jesus, who is rising from the dead in us, can do the ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ has called Him to do through us. I cannot make you any promises as to what your ministry in Christ Jesus will be, but I can tell you that when you live out of Christ Jesus, your creative potential is fully realized -- but not right away. The process of being cleansed from the pollution of the carnal mind takes time, but He does give us ministry as we go along.
My own prayer every day is, Lord, order my steps, arrange my day and my work load, let me live only out of Christ Jesus to the fullest extent that I am able, let me see my carnal mind when she manifests, and give me the strength to overcome her every time. But this is a process that goes on until we are in perfection. I have been laboring in this way for 20 years now.
When you say things like "I want to teach like you do," this is the lust of your carnal mind speaking. It is okay to tell the Lord that you would like to teach, but you must let go of this burning desire, which is in your carnal mind, before He can answer you prayer through Christ Jesus.
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.(KJV)
John 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old [MATURE INTO A SPIRITUAL MAN], thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.(KJV)
But the Scripture that the Lord gave you with regard to seduction, is not necessarily talking about the Doctrine of Christ. The rising sons are faced with seduction by the carnal mind continuously. Sometimes it comes from our own carnal mind, and sometimes from those we have an emotional tie with.
I read in another email from you that you felt a strong desire to evangelize when you looked at a particular advertisement. This is the lust of your carnal mind trying to live through you. Recognizing this, and overcoming her takes time.
I now understand about teaching out of the mind of Christ, and Christ must teach through me. Will I learn as I teach, to discern which mind I am teaching from?
PASTOR SHEILA: You are very focused on teaching, but teaching is only a part of it.
Living out of Christ is a life style.
How can one know that they are teaching from Christ mind, or Satan mind?
PASTOR SHEILA: Again, it's not just teaching, it's every thought you think and every word you say. All you can do is study the messages, ask the Lord to help you, and begin to do it.
Should I remain silent, and wait?
PASTOR SHEILA: No. Just continue on with your life, as I have suggested above.
Why do I understand some of your materials, since I am teaching from the carnal mind? Is it because the mind of Satan knows it to, and I think its Christ mind, but its her?
PASTOR SHEILA: This could be true, but it may be Christ in you. Time will tell.
Right, now I need some help. I feel like I just want to stop, because it seems that what I thought was for God, was against Him. What I to do now?
PASTOR SHEILA: Come under obedience. Don't stop doing anything unless He tells you to, and that only after many witnesses.
I know I must seek Him, more than ever. What must I do besides that?
PASTOR SHEILA: Be at peace, live your life in the flesh, fight the spiritual war.
Pray for me to learn as you have learned, and is still learning.
I am.
You're doing fine.
God bless you.
Pastor Sheila
