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Thoughts by Bro.
Ernest Hawtin
BRAIN AND MIND
There is to be considerable science used in this writing as I think it to be important to know something about the structure of the things contained in that little cranium. Contained in that small space is the brain. It only weighs two to three pounds and is about the size of a grapefruit. The science book that most of the science part is taken from is a book called The 3 Pound Universe, which I have never read, but can accept the things about the brain, which is not possible for me to find out, but I realize there is a truth here, and it will mainly be seen that we must once again draw an invisible line between natural and spiritual things. We want to separate mind from brain if possible because many times we use our poor brain to try to discern or interpret spiritual things and we never really receive the real Truth. The argument of science between different great brains is this, "is there any difference between the brain and the mind?" Surely man is unique with the mind he has over all animals. Surely a horse has a larger brain than a man but whatever that is that is so different, the ability to think and will and make decisions, must mean that the extra ability man has makes him so far superior. If the brain alone is responsible for knowledge, we know its size doesn't change but knowledge surely does, as said in Dan. 12:4 that knowledge shall be increased. This does not mean the size of the brain or the different parts of the brain. No, it's something extra that God gave to Henry Ford or Thomas Edison, totally separate from the brain. It may have found its place of rest in the mind but it was a revelation from God, a zephyr that blew down over the jasper walls into the heart of a man whose mind was searching for some new thing to be added to the Human way of life.
Spirit, mind and brain seem to be a trinity in man. Even the knowledge about the man himself is attributed to the spirit of man. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?... (1 Cor. 2:11). It seems that this motor cortex that works on the ability to hear, see, smell, touch, and taste has to have a help of the spirit to activate these things, especially when it comes to things beyond ordinary living into the realm of the spirit. I refer to decisions, perceptions, and reasons. The brain seems to largely supply and operate in keeping alive in a sensible existence of food, clothes and shelter, transportation etc., . . . but where mind comes in is when we start asking questions about purpose, existence, whither' bound? Is the brain asking these kinds of questions? Does the brain ask these questions; do such thoughts originate in the brain like a brain squall suddenly dreamed up? So there were two avenues in this book that the scientists debated over. No. 1 - The Materialist. His theory was that the mind is nothing more than the working of the brain. No. 2 - The Dualist. He says this, "non material essence added to the brain produces mind or our conscious selves." I favour No. 2, and I believe I know what that is. But in this materialistic age, no scientist unless Spiritual will ever want to concede of the mind of Christ. Or even a thought from God by a natural man to make, for instance, the decision to get saved. Carl Sagan is an exponent that the mind equals the brain. He says, "The workings of the brain are a consequence of its anatomy (the structure and physiology). The organic processes and phenomena of an organism and nothing more." It seems that we cannot think without our brain but does the brain do our thinking for us, or does our mind? This poses a dilemma; here is where we must have spiritual understanding! We cannot understand this great mystery of the mind with our human brain or even with our human mind. This is what scientists are trying to do, and if they would be honest, they go as far as their technology and reason can go, right to the borderline of the supernatural and stop there, wrestling against the only possible solution, but contrary, to their unregenerate thinking, that natural birth places these great powers to think and reason in man. Yet it is so complex, so mysterious, that it is impossible to leave the almighty God out! You have thought many times, "Can I understand myself?" Can brain understand itself or mind understand mind? What is a thought? Webster: "The action or process of thinking; recollection; reasoning power." But how can a thought which is not material or mass or means of conveyance in itself, move upon or act upon a physical mass like the brain? Speaking of the wicked, it is said, God is not in all his thoughts (Ps. 10:4). He has the ability to think but his own nature has ruled out God! The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God (Ps. 14:1). This is perverted thinking, like everything else when Satan gets into it. But it is a thin line! Do we not have to pause before a thought strikes? We wonder from whence it came? I want to bring God into your thinking, and cause us to see how much of God there is even in our natural make-up. Is the prophet's brain with us today? No. It went with his body to the grave. But is his mind with us? Certainly -- all his thoughts and teachings are still with us, but his brain is not. Likewise is Paul's mind with us, or any of the prophets', but their brains are dead. These scientists spent four years research on the difference, if any, between the brain and the mind. The question? Are faith, memory, hopes, desires, fears, and decisions based in the brain and does the word consciousness mean the concerted activity of billions of nerve cells? The four years study yielded no answer. Science has no answer and breaks down even to attempting to define simple human will.
I have given you much of scientific thought mainly to prove that no one really knows, but does the Bible have anything to say? The word brain is not found in the Bible, but mind, heart, will and soul. Heart is used more than any other word, about one thousand times, and we will conceive of a truth in three, of brain, mind, and heart. We know there is the carnal mind that minds the things of the flesh and this is what the Lord wishes to replace with His mind. The mind is the womb of the spirit to take in or let out. A woman's mind persuaded to accept other than her husband is adultery. Likewise if we accept something contrary to the Word of God into our minds it is Spiritual adultery. The gradual intervention of the Mind of Christ is a great Work of the Holy Spirit -- great tolerance to challenge Sin in our mind, without losing patience with reluctance on our part to change. But OH! What infinite patience! The mind portrayed in Phil., Chap. 4 is surely the Mind of Christ that He so vividly portrayed in Chap. 2:5, and He desired to lay this great Truth before the Philippian believers. How fortunate they were to be judged worthy of such a Truth! The intervention of the Mind of Christ is explained in Chap. 4:8. Remember this mind, as the Prophet Branham said, is the womb of the spirit, and watch now to see how much you can take in or keep out, because right there is where the big Battle begins. No. 1 - Here comes Truth into a mind of error, so what are we to do? He will never send Truth to us unless He believes we are capable of releasing the error. In the Light of Acts 2:38 let it drive out years of trinitarian teaching! In the light of the Apostolic ministry, and Doctrine of the apostles, let this Truth drive out any other voice, even of the other four ministries. We could go on and on, but without offering explanation let us apply this to the rest of the verse. Is this Honest? Think on it. Honesty will start chewing away any dishonesty that is in you. It seems to me, we have another name here for sanctification: Is it Just? Is it pure, lovely, good report, of virtue or praise? As a last capstone, He refers them to Himself as the example! This makes today's ministry nervous. What if I should be a poor example to the saints? Thank God Paul was not nervous! Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Ph. 4:9) The Holy Spirit is the agent in the mind transformation! Our brain will not be able to tell what God is freely giving us. Rule out the brain and hereby know that the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:11). We do not teach the Lord anything, but the last verse declares that we have the mind of Christ.
In the great confrontation with Korah (Num. 16), we shall see the importance of the Mind of God! Vs. 28, And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind. The Lord had told him that all those who took part in the rebellion would immediately perish, and the Earth opened up her mouth, and swallowed them all. Sometimes we imagine a man of God can just speak the Word any time, and it will come to pass, but it has to be God saying it. As in the case of Balaam, though false, refused to say anything except the Lord would say it. Balak hired him to curse Israel, but he blessed them these three times, and Barak was angry. Balaam said, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandant of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak? Num. 24:13. An illustration of this is when Bro. Branham went to Finland and the little boy was raised from the dead. The other little boy was left to die in the hospital. The parents couldn't see why their boy wasn't raised. Bro. Branham explained that he would have to see a vision so they decided to pray for that, and it finally came, as the angel appeared, and he also was healed. This is proof that a word from the human brain or mind will accomplish nothing. God must speak! |