AND CAIN SAID UNTO THE LORD, MY PUNISHMENT IS GREATER THAN I CAN BEAR. BEHOLD YOU HAVE DRIVEN ME OUT THIS DAY FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH; AND FROM YOUR FACE SHALL I BE HID; AND A FUGITIVE AND A VAGABOND IN THE EARTH AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS WHO FINDS ME SHALL KILL ME. AND THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, THEREFORE WHOEVER KILLS CAIN, VENGEANCE SHALL BE TAKEN ON HIM SEVEN FOLD. AND THE LORD SET A MARK UPON CAIN, LEST ANY FINDING HIM SHOULD KILL HIM. AND CAIN WENT OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND DWELT IN THE LAND OF NOD, ON THE EAST OF EDEN. Genesis, Chapter 4, Verses 13-16.
Because Cain sinned and slew his brother Abel, he was driven from the PRESENCE of God. Adam and Eve sinned and were CAST OUT of the Garden of Eden, but Cain was DRIVEN from the very PRESENCE of God. Sin ALWAYS separates man from the PRESENCE OF GOD. Cain was driven from the PRESENCE of God and became a FUGITIVE and a VAGABOND.
There is no rest for the VAGABOND. This Spirit searches throughout the Earth looking for a place to call home, yet it can never find a place of REST. No matter where the VAGABOND may find himself, it is never home. In the PRESENCE OF GOD there is PEACE AND REST. When we are dwelling in the PRESENCE of Christ, we have entered into the REST or SABBATH of God. Sabbath means “rest.” For Christians, Jesus is our SABBATH. He is our REST. By FAITH we REST in Him. Study Hebrews, Chapters 3 and 4.
The VAGABOND is always thinking about the view from the other side of the Mountain. To him the GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER on the other side. He does not realize that he is blind, destitute and spiritually naked. He does not know where his place of rest is or where he can go to find rest. He does not know that peace and rest can only be found in the PRESENCE OF GOD. The VAGABOND fails to realize his problem is not his natural environment, but his spiritual environment.
As BONDSERVANTS of Christ, we are “bound” to serve Him, obey Him and follow Him in order that we can continually DWELL IN HIS PRESENCE. We choose to do these things when we are born again by accepting Christ as our Savior. We no longer practice the sins of the past because we now have a glorious future and a HEAVENLY DESTINATION. We no longer WANDER aimlessly in this World without peace, hope or an uncertain destination. In Christ we have found our spiritual destination and our hope for the future, knowing we will be spending an eternity in Heaven with Him.
After Cain slew Abel he was destined to follow a path which he had never before travelled. Cain neither understood nor knew where this path would lead him. The new path which he now travelled was an unfamiliar path filled with twists and turns he could have never imagined existed. Cain had no guidance in the natural and spiritual condition in which he found himself. There would be no more direction for his life from God because he had rejected the counsel of God to: DO WELL AND YOU WILL BE ACCEPTED. Genesis, Chapter 4, Verse 7. Because of Cain’s sin he was rejected by God and driven from His PRESENCE to WANDER aimlessly throughout life with no peace, rest, plan or purpose.
Christ Jesus is the only hope for the sinner. To the VAGABOND salvation is an anomaly. The VAGABOND will focus mainly on his past. The VAGABOND always blames someone else for his problems and expects someone else to solve them. Unfortunately, many Christians continue to possess some of the characteristics of the VAGABOND. They may have accepted Christ as their Savior, but oftentimes their motives and attitudes need to be adjusted. Without attitude adjustments, they too are destined to fail and follow the ways of the VAGABOND.
The Children of Israel WANDERED in the Wilderness for Forty Years as a result of their sins. We separate ourselves from the PRESENCE OF GOD when we sin. We will wander in the Wilderness until we repent and confess our sins. However, if we fail to seek God and repent of our sins, we will surely suffer and/or die in the Wilderness of Sin. How many laps around the Mountain must we take before we repent of our sins and submit to the authority of God.
Many times we wander aimlessly in a Spiritual Wilderness because we have taken our focus off Christ and His will and purpose for our life. Unfortunately, many have left their first love to follow after earthly pleasures and worldly treasures for earthly gain. We cannot LOVE THE WORLD AND THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD and still have room for the love of God in our hearts. We will love one and hate the other. Which one do you love?
The VAGABOND Christian cannot keep his mind stayed upon the Lord or stay focused upon God for very long. His thoughts tend to focus continually on the Cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches. Earthly thoughts of what things he may gain wander around in his mind rather than GODLINESS WHICH IS THE GREATER GAIN.
Many Christians find themselves caught in the trap of VAGABOND because they have failed to renew their minds and continually keep their focus on things which are eternal, such as FAITH, GRACE and LOVE. People reject or neglect the Counsel of God because of earthly or carnal thinking and/or their love for the things of this World. The carnal mind is the VAGABOND mind. TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH; BUT TO BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE. BECAUSE THE CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD. Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 6-7.
Peace is deferred when the people of God remain carnally minded and fail to PUT ON THE MIND OF CHRIST. Spiritual darkness will continue to permeate carnal minds until people turn from their wicked ways and serve God. A carnal mind and carnal thinking always separates man from God. However, if we seek and experience the TRUTH, we will be set free from carnal thoughts and acts which brings reproach upon those who reject the WHOLE Counsel of God. PERFECT PEACE will be found in the hearts and minds of those who KEEP THEIR MINDS STAYED UPON THE LORD. Isaiah, Chapter 26, Verse 3.
WANDERING aimlessly is a Mindset. People wander aimlessly because their minds are SET to wander without plan or purpose by the VAGABOND. Some people are VAGABONDS because of the choices they make. Some people live the VAGABOND lifestyle even though they may not want to because they do not understand there is a better WAY. Everybody is born into this World as a SPIRITUAL VAGABOND. They will WANDER aimlessly through life without any TRUE Spiritual direction unless and until they receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. They will remain under the influence of the Devil until they are delivered from the Vagabond Spirit.
The Bible tells us to be RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MIND. Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 23. Carnal thinking is the enemy of God and man. If Satan is able to gain control of the thoughts of a person, he is able to control that person’s destiny.
THE VAGABOND MINDSET
The VAGABOND mindset is continually searching for satisfaction in all the wrong places. True satisfaction can only come from knowing Christ as Lord and Savior. The VAGABOND may find temporary satisfaction for the flesh, but it is always yearning for something new and different. The VAGABOND does not realize that what he is seeking can never bring TRUE satisfaction because what he is seeking has no foundational TRUTH. He seeks a place of rest for his weary soul, however, he cannot find rest because he is continually searching in all the wrong places. True rest is only found in KNOWING Christ as Lord and Savior.
Cain could have found favor with God if he had been truthful with Him, and had been willing to repent of his sin. Repentance, which proceeds forgiveness, cannot be found in a heart without remorse. Consequently, the soul that sins, rejects the truth, and refuses to repent will surely die.
A few years ago the Lord sent me to work with a ministry in Cleveland, Tennessee. We ministered daily to homeless, poor and destitute people. Through that experience the Lord taught me many things regarding homeless people. I learned through observation that many of the homeless and poor people had CHOSEN the type of lifestyle they were living. It was a choice THEY made. No matter what you did for them or how much you tried to help them, they did not want to change their lifestyles. They were content with living on the street, panhandling and looking for a handout. As a matter of fact, many of them thought it was the responsibility of someone else to make sure they had something to eat and a roof over their head. This mindset is prevalent in the Culture of the VAGABONDS.
On the other hand, there were many homeless and destitute people who had not chosen that type of lifestyle. However, for some reason or another, they had found themselves right in the middle of a lifestyle they hated. They did not have the ability or wherewithal to change the way they were living. Perhaps a tragedy happened in their life which they were unable to overcome. It may have been a failed marriage, the loss of a child, a financial crisis or some other devastating tragedy with which they could not deal. Those people were looking for a helping HAND. However, others chose that lifestyle and were always looking for a HAND out. If some of them would have received the appropriate training, proper skills, the desire, intuitive know how, and the opportunity, they would have done everything they could to pull themselves out of their life of destitution. These qualities, along with the will to change, were missing in the life of most of them. Some of the fortunate ones were able to get back on their feet with a little help and a lot of prayer.
Yet, the condition of both of these types of people can be attributed to their mindsets. The people who do not desire change in their life will never change unless there is a change in their thinking and the way they perceive life. If people do not make a conscience decision to change, they will never be free from the VAGABOND Spirit. Many of those who do not like the VAGABOND lifestyle will continue in that lifestyle unless they have the determination to change their mindsets. Without change they will be destined to WANDER through life without any hope for a better life.
Those who did change did so because they made a quality DECISION to change. They understood if they were going to leave that lifestyle behind they would have to make a change by turning around and going in the opposite direction. They realized they had to change their way of thinking, take a different path, and walk in a different direction. A few of them changed their mindsets and were able through help and prayer to pull themselves out of that spiritually destitute ditch in which they found themselves.
Before Cain sinned and slew Abel, he dwelt in the PRESENCE OF GOD. After Cain sinned he was driven from the PRESENCE OF GOD and became a VAGABOND. A spiritual VAGABOND is one who is spiritually dead. Spiritual death is separation from God. The Bible states that GOD IS LIFE. Anyone who has not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior does not possess the Spirit of God and is spiritually dead and destined for Hell. HE WHO HAS THE SON HAS LIFE. HE WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE SON, DOES NOT HAVE LIFE. 1 John, Chapter 5, Verse 12.
People who are not BORN AGAIN have no spiritual understanding, thus their minds cannot comprehend the TRUTH. They possess no LIGHT to guide them through a World BOUND by Spiritual Darkness. Their hearts are filled with the Darkness of this present World. Their souls are aimlessly WANDERING toward eternal judgment and punishment unless they hear, believe and receive the Message of the Cross of Christ.
Those who are sincere about changing the direction of their life must make a quality decision to CHANGE, without looking back. Being BORN AGAIN and following Christ is the only way that leads one from the pathway of the VAGABOND. Without Christ, no change can be realized. VAGABONDS require much prayer, patience, love and guidance from those around them in order that they may find the path of RIGHTEOUSNESS through FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. I didn’t say criticize them, but love them. Love covers a multitude of sins.
Cain failed to understand or refused to be his brother’s keeper. All the Law and the Word of the Prophets can be summed up in the COMMANDMENT to “Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Your neighbor would surely include your brother. It is vital that we love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. If we are not obedient to this Command, we are destined to follow the path of the VAGABOND.
I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YOU PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE. AND BE NOT CONFROMED TO THIS WORLD: BUT BE YOU TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT IS THE GOOD, AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD. Romans, Chapter 12, Verses 1-2.
Many Christians have a VAGABOND mindset. That is, they allow their minds to WANDER away from God’s plan and purpose for their life. One day they are on fire for God. The next day they have more important things to do, so they think. They are double minded. A double minded person is unstable in all his ways. They are more interested in the pleasures of this World than the Heavenly Treasures which come from KNOWING and experiencing Christ in His fullness.
The WANDERING mind will become the DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND as it is tossed to and fro, going from one carnal thought to another. The WANDERING mind can never be at rest or satisfied because it is ever searching for things in all the wrong places. The cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches will always lead the WANDERING mind to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If they are entertaining evil thoughts and worldly pleasures, Christians do not realize how easy it is to fall into the snares of Satan.
The natural or carnal mind is enmity with God. Many Christians do not know or realize when they are born again they MUST change the way they think. If they continue to live their life the same way as they did before they COMMITTED their life to Christ, they will surely fail. Every thought that exalts itself against the KNOWLEDGE of God must be cast down. We must put on the MIND of Christ if we are going to find His plan and purpose for our life.
Accepting Christ as Savior is not only a decision we make, but a promise to commit ourselves to His work, plan and purpose for our life. We have been bought with the price of His Precious Blood and have relinquished control of our life to Him. Our minds must be realigned and RENEWED with the plan and purpose of God or we will never embrace the TRUTH which sets us totally free.