The Lord said, Come now, and let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18). Keep in mind that there is a right way and a wrong way to reason, and reasoning with the Lord is the right way. Those who prefer to reason within themselves and with others instead of with God will always come up with the wrong answers.

God has given us the power to reason and come to conclusions, and He has given us free choice to reason as we choose; but free choice used the wrong way ruined Adam and Eve, and it is still ruining people today.

When Jesus walked the Earth, He knew people’ s hearts; and He was always dealing with people who reasoned the wrong way. But when Jesus perceived their [the scribes and Pharisees] thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts (Luke 5:22)? Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them [the disciples], O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves (Matthew 16:8)?

Jesus knew that human reasoning would misinterpret the things of God and cause a lot of trouble because no one can reason heavenly things with the mere mind of man. Jesus pointed out the error and danger in people’ s thinking many times by saying, “Think not.” Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil (Matthew 5:17). Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).

Never Reason Man’ s Way

When you reason with God, you will see things through the eye of divine faith. For we walk by faith, not by [human] sight (II Corinthians 5:7). But when you reason with yourself and others, you will only have human faith to use; and Jesus will say to you as He did to the disciples, O ye of little faith (Matthew 16:8).

When people don’ t reason with God, they will reason with their feelings, emotions, sentiments, prejudices, afflictions, traditions and worldly knowledge. They don’ t really want God’ s answers; and that is why the Bible says, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5,6).

You even have to be careful reasoning among those who claim to be Christians because they may not be well-learned in the Holy Scriptures, and their understanding may be darkened. Paul warned, Walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart (Ephesians 4:17,18).

When you reason only with yourself and others, it is because you want to come to your own conclusions; and you want answers that agree with your own thinking. Jesus gave us a good example of that when He said, The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they [the chief priests and the elders] reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him (Matthew 21:25)? Those men did not want to reason with God because they did not want to believe in John, the prophet God had sent ahead of Jesus.

When carnal minds reason with carnal minds, no spiritual help will come to them. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Romans 8:6,7). A mind of the world leads to death, but a mind of the Spirit brings life and peace.

God Hates Ego

Some people reason among themselves because they know that God would not be pleased with what they are thinking. When Jesus was here, the Bible tells us that there arose a reasoning among them [the disciples], which of them should be greatest (Luke 9:46). Jesus specifically chose the 12 apostles to follow Him, and then He found them arguing about who was going to be the greatest. That was awful because it was ego, and God hates it. If you have any ego, you have to get rid of it.

Some people are so full of ego that they think they are smarter or greater than others; but Jesus said, For he that is least among you all, the same shall be great [in Heaven when God sets up His Kingdom] (Luke 9:48). Ego is definitely of the devil, and the Bible says it will rob you of your heavenly reward. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind (Colossians 2:18).

People can be so wrong about themselves. The Bible says, The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason (Proverbs 26:16). A sluggard is conceited and doesn’ t want to do any work, yet the Lord said he is wiser than seven men who get together and reason things out in a way that is not pleasing to Him.

Don’ t Be Deceived

Jeremiah said, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it (Jeremiah 17:9)? The answer is God knows it. People can hide things from others, but they can’ t hide anything from God; and what He thinks is all that counts.

When people want something badly enough, they can reason the wrong way, deceive themselves and destroy their own hearts. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself (Galatians 6:3). Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool [for God’ s sake], that he may be wise (I Corinthians 3:18).

Paul said, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (II Timothy 3:13). We are now in the day Paul was speaking of, and people all over the world are deceiving not only themselves but also others. They may think they are all right, but only the Word can show them whether or not they are right if they really want to know.

Jesus said, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many (Matthew 24:4,5). So many people today are deceived just as they were in Jesus’ day, but you cannot afford to be one of them.

Self Reasoning Brings Deceit

King Saul deceived himself when Samuel told him not to take any to Samuel because he wanted the spoil so badly that he reasoned within himself that he could use the spoil to make sacrifice to God. That may have sounded like a noble thing to do, but that was not what God wanted.

When Samuel found out what Saul had done, he said, The LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed [destroyed completely]. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD (I Samuel 15:18,19)?

By that time, Saul had deceived himself so much that he said, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me (I Samuel 15:20).

In his deceit, Saul had actually rebelled against God; and God hates rebellion as much as He does witchcraft. Samuel told Saul, For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king (I Samuel 15:23).

Reason through the Word

All of man’ s reasoning put together cannot compare to God’ s reasoning. He has all the answers because He knows your tomorrows, and He has put everything you need to know in the Word of God. That is why you have to feed yourself the Word daily.

Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). When you do that, you will be able to say as the Psalmist did, I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

Man’ s thinking is limited; but through the power of the Holy Ghost, God is able to take us beyond our own thinking and give us God’ s thoughts. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

God reasons with us through the scriptures, so you have to study them. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).

You divide the Word through the Holy Spirit because the things of God can only be spiritually discerned. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (I Corinthians 2:14).

The Word must be your refuge, your shelter in time of storm and your hope. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word (Psalm 119:114). It must be your peace, your joy, your everything. Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart (Jeremiah 15:16).

Take time with the Word because that is where the mind of the Lord is revealed. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). You can have the same mind Christ had when He was on Earth if you will put yourself in a position to reason with God.

Unload Your Burdens

Reasoning the right way enables you to turn your burdens over to the Lord. Jesus said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:28,29). Peter wrote, Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (I Peter 5:7).

The Lord wants you to leave your burdens with Him so you can carry the great burden for the lost. Then He will do greater things than you could ever imagine. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh [meaning to keep working] in us (Ephesians 3:20).

With the Lord, you have nothing to worry or be anxious about. Be careful for nothing (Philippians 4:6). Just rest your case with the Lord and let Him take care of it through Jesus Christ. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God (Philippians 4:6). That only works if you have faith in Him. If you don’ t have faith in God, why bother requesting anything of Him? You must never doubt God or any part of His Word.

What Are You Thinking?

You cannot reason with God when you have the wrong thoughts; so God is asking you, “What are you thinking?” He already knows your thoughts, but He wants you to be conscious of what is occupying your mind. The wrong thoughts can hinder you, but the right thoughts can lift you up.

The Psalmist asked himself, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God (Psalm 42:11). If you are asking yourself the same things as the psalmist, you could be thinking the wrong thoughts.

What you think in your heart will show on your face. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken (Proverbs 15:13). A merry heart has to come from the throne of God because true happiness only comes from Heaven. The Bible declares, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). We have so much to praise God for.

Some people think about sickness too much, and that is easy to do when you are in great pain; but it can hinder you. The Bible says, For as he [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). When you are feeling weak, the Bible says, Let the weak say, I am strong (Joel 3:10). You can always be strong in the Lord.

Think on These Things

Paul told us six things we should think on. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8). If you don’ t know what each thought in that verse means, you won’ t get very far.

“True” means in accordance with facts, faithful, certain, no false about it. God is true and faithful. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9). But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil (II Thessalonians 3:3). God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord (I Corinthians 1:9). God is wonderful! Is He continually in your thoughts?

Jesus is true and faithful. I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he [Jesus] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11). He is your Lily in all of your valleys. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1). He is your Bright and Morning Star. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star (Revelation 22:16). Do you think about Jesus?

The Word is true. The Lord told John the Revelator, Write: for these words are true and faithful (Revelation 21:5). You have to hold fast to that Word of truth. Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers [those who oppose the truth] (Titus 1:9). Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Revelation 22:7). Do you meditate on the Word?

Honesty Is Edifying

Second, think on things that are honest, meaning free from deceit, trustworthy and upright. Honest people leave behind a good testimony that others can see just as Job did. God knew that Job was an honest man; and He said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil (Job 1:8)? Do you shun all evil or just some?

God sees all those who are upright. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright (Psalm 11:7). He doesn’ t look on the outside of a person as people do; He looks at the heart. For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (I Samuel 16:7).

Think about people who really live the Christ life—those who are honest and bring forth good fruit. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience (Luke 8:15).

When you think about honorable people in the Lord, you will be edified just as Paul was. I thank my God upon every remembrance [every thought] of you (Philippians 1:3). We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of [divine] faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father (I Thessalonians 1:2,3).

Don’ t dwell on those who are dishonest and spread deceit. There is no virtue or praise in having them continually on your mind. The Bible says we are to turn our enemies over to God who said, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19).

Just, Pure and Lovely

Third, we are to think on things that are just—lawful, proper and upright. Do you choose to think on those kinds of things? No one can ever excuse themselves for thinking about unjust things by saying they can’ t find anything that is just to think on. As long as God and His Word exist, there will always be something that is just to think on; and only those who are justified before God will get into Heaven.

The fourth thing Paul mentioned was to dwell on things that are pure. That means you must not think on anything that adulterates the mind. Think only about things that are clean, undefiled and free from sin and guilt. You must want to be pure and holy and never be double-minded. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8).

Fifth, think about things that are lovely—things that are morally or spiritually attractive, things that are beautiful or inspire admiration. In describing Jesus, the Bible says, His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely (Song of Solomon 5:16).

Give Good Reports

Last, we are to think on things that are of a good report. The Israelites didn’ t do that. They dwelt on evil reports, and that caused them so much trouble. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt (Numbers 14:2,3)?

The Lord brought the Israelites out of horrible bondage, yet their wrong thoughts made them want to go back. The people murmured against Moses, a true man of God; and when they did that, they murmured against God. True prophets of God are called by Him, and they are just the same as He is in love and peace. When people complain about them and turn their backs on God, they will never see Heaven.

People may think there is no harm in giving a bad report, but it is very dangerous to give or even to listen to one. Thinking or even listening to the wrong things gives you foggy understanding, and your view of the Lord will not be clear. It allows the storms of life to get into your mind, and then you can’ t get rid of them. You sleep with them, and they can cause you to have nightmares. Then you get up in the morning so worn out that you don’ t feel like facing life. You just want to crawl back into bed, feeling worthless and pushed out of God’ s way.

When you fail to think on the good things of the Lord, you bring yourself despair and doubt; so cast out all thoughts that are unlike God because there is no virtue or praise in them. You must think only the things of God and rejoice in them. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4).

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

God will be so happy when He no longer has to take wrong thoughts from us or deliver us from the devil’ s torments. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me (Psalm 18:48).

You must guard your mind against the devil in this last hour because the Rapture is just ahead. Only the harvest of lost souls is holding it back, and that is why the devil is fighting God’ s people in such unbelievable ways. He is trying to cause them to fail and to keep them from winning the souls God has marked for them to win. The devil will never give up as long as he can affect you. Again and again he will call to you, trying to lure you out of the will of God; but you must never listen to him.

God will never be able to reason with you in this final hour unless you keep your mind stayed upon Him. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3). That is a promise of God, but God can’ t help you or reason with you unless you apply His promises to your life. Reach out for the Word, dine on it and use the Lord’ s promises daily.

Recognize the voice of your Lord and the love He has for you. Walk in truth and righteousness and keep your mind emptied of the flesh and filled with the Holy Spirit. Keep it overflowing daily, and you will grow in the Lord in a miraculous way.

God is counting on the Bride to finish His work. We are His last hope, so we must be wide-awake to the deceit of the devil and listen only to the voice of our Lord. Our hearts must be set upon Him as we look for His coming. Tell the Lord that He can count on you and mean it from your heart. Tell Him that you will pray, fast and live in His Word; and ask Him to use you like He has never used you before.

Don’ t Turn Away

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3). Most people in the world don’ t really know the true God, but they will have at least one chance to get to know Him; and it could be their last one.

Some people are getting their last chance today, and they don’ t even know it. They are not thinking right, and they don’ t know that they are just one step away from blaspheming against the Holy Ghost. If they make just one more step, God will never deal with them again; and hell will be their destiny.

If you are on the path to destruction today, you must decide to yield to the Lord; but nobody will make you do it, not even God. The devil will whisper, “There isn’ t going to be a Rapture. It has been talked about for years, and it hasn’ t happened yet.” But listen to what the Spirit is saying: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:3,4,8,9). People who say that the Lord will not come are not telling the truth, and they are deceived by the devil if they think they are.

The Bible warns those who won’ t accept the truth that the Lord will send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (II Thessalonians 2:11,12).

The devil is a liar, and it is dangerous to believe even one of his lies. He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44).

Salvation Is a Thought of God

The opening scripture for this message was Isaiah 1:18 which says, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD. That verse goes on to say, Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. That is a great promise to all sinners if they will only reason with God. When a sinner is made holy, it is a miracle of God; and miracles can only happen by reasoning with God.

If you are a sinner today, reason with God and give your heart to the Lord. That is the only way you will escape the tribulation that is about to come upon the Earth. Pray this prayer with me now: Oh, God! Save my soul! I am so lost! I don’ t want a carnal mind; I want a spiritual mind, the mind of Jesus and nothing less. I believe as I confess my sins, that the blood of Jesus washes them all away. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come on in!

If you meant that prayer, Jesus has come; and He is yours. Start walking and living in the Word of the Almighty God.

Receive the Holy Ghost

Now, you must go on to receive the real baptism of the Holy Ghost. Most churches today don’ t teach about the real Holy Ghost. Many claim to; but instead, they teach speaking in tongues at will and prophesying at will, and those things are of the flesh and the devil. The Lord told me that when people speak in tongues at will and continue doing it, the devil will take over; and it will become the language of the devil. That is so dangerous!

The real Holy Ghost speaks in a fluent language, and He is the one who gives the utterance just like He did on the Day of Pentecost. And they [those in the Upper Room] were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).

The Spirit uses the tongue of fire that John the Baptist spoke of when he said, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Luke 3:16). When you receive that tongue of fire, the Spirit can use it like His very own tongue. That is why people all over the world need to receive this wonderful baptism.

Receive a Miracle

If you are sick or afflicted, the Lord is the healer. Healing is promised to us in the Word, and it is God’ s will for us to be well. The Bible says that He sent his word, and healed them (Psalm 107:20). When you reason with God, you can depend on miracles; but those who reason within themselves can never have a mind of miracles. The very definition of a miracle is an event that appears unexplainable by the laws of nature. They are supernatural acts of Almighty God. I am not the healer; I am just God’ s believer. Jesus is the one who heals. Thus saith the Lord, you can be made whole of all your sicknesses and diseases.

Let me pray with you now for whatever you need for yourself or your family members. Lord, I bring the sick and afflicted to you. Lay a healing hand on them right now. Help them to realize that you are the same Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee and healed people of all manner of sicknesses and diseases. You never even turned little children away; you said, “Bring them to me.” Oh, Lord, you healed people then, and you are healing them now. It comes from your supernatural gifts of miracles and healings and through the power of the Holy Ghost and the name of Jesus. Heal! in the holy, almighty name of the Lord.

The healing power is flowing to you now. Don’ t you feel His presence? That is what heals people all over the world, and it will heal you, too. Reach up and take the Lord’ s miracle power into your body without one doubt. Believe the healing promise in His word.

If you believed that prayer, His power went into your body or your sick child’ s body. It will work night and day to get you or your child completely well. If you doubt, you will be robbed of your miracle; but divine faith will give you Heaven’ s results.

Write and tell me what happened to you today so I can rejoice with you.

Thus Saith the Lord

I have called you unto myself. I have called you to finish up the work of my Son, Jesus Christ. I am depending on you. I will furnish what you need. Tell the people that I-Am sent you…I-Am that I-Am. God is sending us to the ends of the Earth, and then this dispensation will be over. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).

With the anointing of God, we can preach the Word; and it will be confirmed with signs, wonders, miracles and healings just as it was for the disciples. And they [the disciples] went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs [and wonders] following (Mark 16:20).

God is drawing His children together through the blood that stained the Old Rugged Cross, and He is counting on us not to fail Him. Our hearts must beat in harmony with the heart of God, and then He will give us all the strength we need to do what He has called us to do.