Sometimes people come to me for counseling. Often I am perplexed what advice to give. I have discovered an effective device. I say to the individual, "Wait on the Lord until He talks to you. When He does, come back and tell me what He said."

You know, I have not once heard anything I did not agree with. What they said the Lord told them was exactly what I was perceiving.

Now here is a remarkable thing. Often the persons seeking counsel will be very stressed. They will be lashing out this way and that, blaming people, expressing their fears, planning ways of getting out of the mess they are in.

Then they go and wait on the Lord. The impression they get often has nothing to do with all their fears and plans. It may be, "Be patient"; or "This is My will for you"; or something like this. There is a great contrast between their expressions of dismay and their plans, and what the Lord says.

When they hear they know it is right. And I know it is right.

We are speaking of the contrast between the carnal mind and the spiritual mind.

One time an evangelist with a strong gift of prophecy had an interesting experience. Some of us in Bible School had been hearing from the Lord about where He plans on taking His Church after the Pentecostal experience of speaking in tongues. We were talking about the rest of God, the latter rain, and things like that.

Our lady evangelist was old-time Pentecost. She lived and preached salvation and Pentecost. She was not satisfied that we were hearing from the Lord.

She used to be in the same meetings with us Bible students. Do you know what happened? She began to listen to her own prophecies. She discovered she was saying in prophecy what we also believed. We use to say, "Helen prophesied herself into the revival."

This demonstrates the contrast between the carnal mind and the mind of the Spirit. How often it is true when we are yelling and screaming, if we would just quiet down and listen to the voice of the Lord we might be surprised at the opinions He is holding concerning our uproar.

Notice what the Apostle Paul had to say about the carnal mind and the mind of the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8—NIV)

If we live according to our sinful mind we are dwelling in death. If our mind is controlled by the Spirit of God we dwell in life and peace.

There probably is no more intense battle in the Christian life than that between our carnal mind and the mind of the Spirit.

To be continued.