I am finding what I am reading and meditating on in regards to our thought process has so much to do with so many different messages, courses, etc that I have had the privilege to learn from. I am also finding in this stage of my life and where I am ministering how important these truths are. I urge you, especially young people to lay hold of these truths early in your life. It will make all the difference.
As we have been learning the mind is a battlefield. Our problem is as we tend to live for self we do not really want to do battle. Sometimes it is easier to just not battle and when we lose we try to apply grace mercy and love. We use the excuses like " I just could not help it, they made me so angry, or I could not help what I saw on the TV and my mind wondered, or I have my rights." These probably sound all to familiar to all of us. But if we are born again we have been bought by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are OWNED by Him. HMMMMM makes us think doesn't it. If we are owned by Him, He indeed is a gracious Master.
Notes on Chapter Three:
PG 33 "Regain the territory the devil has stolen from you. If necessary regain it one inch at a time always leaning on God's grace and not on your own ability to get desired results."
Ish 43:2 "I will be with you- through the rivers- they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire you will not be burned or scorched nor will the flame kindle upon you."
When I read this verse the part the flame will not kindle upon you, I remembered how when I was a kid we would gather kindling wood to start a bigger fire when we would go camping. This wood was needed to start a bigger fire. So basically what this verse is saying when we walk through the fire it will not harm you in any way, not even to begin something small and turn bigger. We must remember this and apply this to our thoughts . For instance when we have a thought and all of a sudden the whole thing is blown out of proportion what happened. Something kindled something to make it bigger. Was God with us, probably not because we did not call upon Him for His word says He will be with us. We need to make sure we call upon Him for His help on a continuous basis so nothing can kindle.
Chapter 3 continues talking about Habakuk 3:19 and how we need to develop hinds feet(to climb mountains swiftly) to walk not to stand still in terror but to walk and make spiritual progress upon high places (of trouble suffering or responsibility."It continues to say it is easy to quit but takes faith to get through.
Yesterday we went to preach at a Church in a pretty hilly area. As I looked at some of those hills many people would laugh because I was not the most physically active person. I hate hills. But I tackle them quickly. I can't stand walking up them slowly like most people do. So there I would be way ahead of everyone tackling the hill determined to reach the top and then there I would rest and catch my breath. So this is what must be in handling our troubles, etc.
PG 34 of Chapter three "The mind has to be renewed to follow after the Spirit and not the flesh. Our carnel, worldly fleshly minds have had so much practice operating freely that we surely do not have to use any effort to think wrong thoughts. After we have finally decided to be like minded with God then we will need to choose and continue to choose right thoughts."
This comment is crucial. The problem is we do not want to think like minded with God. We basically want to hold onto our excuses. "I can watch that on TV, it does not matter it is a sex scene. I am old enough. I can handle that without sinning. Or it does not matter what kind of language I use of hear on movies, etc etc. We can think of a zillion excuses to not want to think like God. But the problem is we think we think like minded to Christ. We need to truly recognize what are my thoughts. If they are not pure holy and like Christ then they are sinful thoughts and must be taken captive.
As the chapter continues it talks about God having set before us life and death and He urges us to choose life. It is always our choice,.
Prov 18:21 Death and life are in the tongue and they who indulge in It shall eat the fruit thereof. Sort of our common phrase "What goes around, comes around". Or "It will come back to bite you"
The chapter goes on to encourage us that though the battle seems endless we must remember we are reprogramming a very carnel, fleshly worldly mind ....reprogramming to think as God thinks
PG 35 states your mind is like a computer that has a lifetime of garbage programmed into it.
These next comments in chapter three really grabbed a hold of me to desire my life to change.
"...I had to wake up and realize I was going no where. I was a Christian without victory. PG 36 continues "Wrong mindsets many mental strongholds built up over the years, living in deception, ..been at the same mountain long enough..The Israelites had a wilderness mentality certain types of thinking (wrong thinking) kept them in bondage...Quality decision to get your mind renewed and learn to choose your thoughts carefully. You will not Quit and give up until victory is complete and you have taken possession of your rightful inheritance."
These last few thoughts shook me to the core. I realized I had a wilderness mentality. And that I do not want to stay there and I will fight to regain the territory the enemy has stolen.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Battlefield of the Mind Chap 1-2
Well I finally finished chapters 1 to 3. I know those who are doing the actual study just finished chapter 2 yesterday. So Lordwilling this will catch myself up.
I have been very much encouraged by ths Bible Study. You never know when God is going to give you a life breaking expierence. I say breaking for what He can break makes us whole. As I read in chapter two the paragraph on page 28 "Your life may be in a state of chaos because of years of wrong thinking. If so, it is important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life will not get straigtened out until your mind does. You should consider this area one of the vital necessity. Be serious about tearing down the strongholds Satan has built in your mind . Use your weapons of teh Word, praise and prayer.""
It hit me like a ton of bricks . I have struggled with procrastination, being behind, not accomplishing what I would like to, etc etc. I have dealt with this issue in my life for years and years now. Never ever did I recognize or connect it as a problem with my mind or thoughts. At this revelation Iprayed "God show me what wrong thinking, or thought process I have in this area or where a stronghold can be." I know as I continue to pray God will reveal and I look forward to sharing with you what God will do and how my Chaos will straighten out.
Now that was my own personal testimony. I just want tonow point out some areas that were definitely interesting for me in these chapters.
Chapter One: Well-laid plans take time. Remember the devil has a strategy(pg15).. In this thought we must not get discouraged when things take time. The devil has a strategy to get us off the beaten path and he does not care how long it takes. We ourselves must have a strategy and not be impatient with how long it may take. Victory is always victory no matter how long it takes.
Pg 16 "Strongholds are in our mind...due to a certain way of thinking.... take these weapons and refute arguemnets. The devil offers us theroies and reasonings Pg 17 but be ye transformed bythe renewing of your mind.....Mary can't control her actions because she cannot control our thoughts...What we learn from this is our thinking definitely contributes to who we are and our actions and that we need to be in constant action of renewing our minds.
Pg 19) We must 1) get the knowledge of God's truth in us 2) we must renew our minds with His Word 3) we must use the weapons of II Corinthians 10:4-5
Our weapons Word, Prayer asking and talking, Praise must be genuine heartfeltof who Jesus is
Pg 23 We must 1) continue to study God's Word, 2) We will know the truth as we study and then 3) we will then be able to act on the truth which will set us free
Dont make excuse to justify behaviour
Pg 24 Our problems are internal in our thoughts and attitudes. Our outward behaviour is a result of our thoughts and attitudes. Satan knows well that if he can control our thoughts he can control our actions
CHAPTER 2 PG 27 "thoughts are powerful and have creative ability.. This teaches us to be real careful of what we think. We must keep our thinking in alignement with Gods Word.
Romans 8:5 We notice in this verse weather you follow the flesh or the spirt, whatever you follow you will first set your mind then pursue. The flesh looks for tehgratification of self but the Spirt if you follow after the Spirit you will gratify the Holy Spirit. Do we look to live our lives to gratify ourselves or gratify the Holy SPirit??? If we mind the thinsg of the Spirit we will walk in the Spirit.. Basicallythat tells me is that the walking in the Spirit will be an automatic walk when we are mind or have our mind on the things of teh Spirit.
PG 27 Vital for living is renewing our minds...we must get in us that this is more than a choice...it is crucial to live in a succesful Christian walk.
PG 28 We must be determined to ASk a lot of teh Holy Spirit to help us and to lean on HIm alone
Pg 29 A Vital neccesity just like air, blood pressure etc is to cultivate our relationship with the with Him in prayer and in the Word. Our spiritual life is dependant upon spending regular quality time with God. It must be a priority in my life. Right thinking is vital to victorias living. We must choose carefully choos our thoughts.
Thoughts bear fruit. Good or bad...
I have been very much encouraged by ths Bible Study. You never know when God is going to give you a life breaking expierence. I say breaking for what He can break makes us whole. As I read in chapter two the paragraph on page 28 "Your life may be in a state of chaos because of years of wrong thinking. If so, it is important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life will not get straigtened out until your mind does. You should consider this area one of the vital necessity. Be serious about tearing down the strongholds Satan has built in your mind . Use your weapons of teh Word, praise and prayer.""
It hit me like a ton of bricks . I have struggled with procrastination, being behind, not accomplishing what I would like to, etc etc. I have dealt with this issue in my life for years and years now. Never ever did I recognize or connect it as a problem with my mind or thoughts. At this revelation Iprayed "God show me what wrong thinking, or thought process I have in this area or where a stronghold can be." I know as I continue to pray God will reveal and I look forward to sharing with you what God will do and how my Chaos will straighten out.
Now that was my own personal testimony. I just want tonow point out some areas that were definitely interesting for me in these chapters.
Chapter One: Well-laid plans take time. Remember the devil has a strategy(pg15).. In this thought we must not get discouraged when things take time. The devil has a strategy to get us off the beaten path and he does not care how long it takes. We ourselves must have a strategy and not be impatient with how long it may take. Victory is always victory no matter how long it takes.
Pg 16 "Strongholds are in our mind...due to a certain way of thinking.... take these weapons and refute arguemnets. The devil offers us theroies and reasonings Pg 17 but be ye transformed bythe renewing of your mind.....Mary can't control her actions because she cannot control our thoughts...What we learn from this is our thinking definitely contributes to who we are and our actions and that we need to be in constant action of renewing our minds.
Pg 19) We must 1) get the knowledge of God's truth in us 2) we must renew our minds with His Word 3) we must use the weapons of II Corinthians 10:4-5
Our weapons Word, Prayer asking and talking, Praise must be genuine heartfeltof who Jesus is
Pg 23 We must 1) continue to study God's Word, 2) We will know the truth as we study and then 3) we will then be able to act on the truth which will set us free
Dont make excuse to justify behaviour
Pg 24 Our problems are internal in our thoughts and attitudes. Our outward behaviour is a result of our thoughts and attitudes. Satan knows well that if he can control our thoughts he can control our actions
CHAPTER 2 PG 27 "thoughts are powerful and have creative ability.. This teaches us to be real careful of what we think. We must keep our thinking in alignement with Gods Word.
Romans 8:5 We notice in this verse weather you follow the flesh or the spirt, whatever you follow you will first set your mind then pursue. The flesh looks for tehgratification of self but the Spirt if you follow after the Spirit you will gratify the Holy Spirit. Do we look to live our lives to gratify ourselves or gratify the Holy SPirit??? If we mind the thinsg of the Spirit we will walk in the Spirit.. Basicallythat tells me is that the walking in the Spirit will be an automatic walk when we are mind or have our mind on the things of teh Spirit.
PG 27 Vital for living is renewing our minds...we must get in us that this is more than a choice...it is crucial to live in a succesful Christian walk.
PG 28 We must be determined to ASk a lot of teh Holy Spirit to help us and to lean on HIm alone
Pg 29 A Vital neccesity just like air, blood pressure etc is to cultivate our relationship with the with Him in prayer and in the Word. Our spiritual life is dependant upon spending regular quality time with God. It must be a priority in my life. Right thinking is vital to victorias living. We must choose carefully choos our thoughts.
Thoughts bear fruit. Good or bad...
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