Mind Renewal

Mind Renewal

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

For the most part, a lot of people would like to believe the decisions they make pose no real threat to their well being.  

The Bible says otherwise in Proverbs 14:12.  

How we view things in life determines how we make our decisions.  If we make bad financial decisions, how do we view money?  Is money something we are a slave to or should we have command over it?  Whether it is finances, relationships, work, or health every Christian needs to have their mind renewed to what the Bible says about these topics.  



Of course, those are just a handful of topics I mentioned and the Bible addresses every issue one needs to know to live a full and successful life. 

If given a choice, people do not want to live in misery.  Jesus said, in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 



 Jesus did not come to give us a life of misery.  He came so we may have life and have it more abundantly.

 In order to have that life, our decisions have to line up with God’s Word.  We need to see, think and act like Jesus and the only way to do that is meditate on His Word.  This is beyond just saying what would Jesus do and coming up with something that isn’t even scriptural.  We need to have our minds renewed to His Word.  When our minds are renewed to His Word we can see what Jesus would see.  We can think like Jesus would think and we can act like Jesus would act.  Does this sound impossible?  It really isn’t.  

The Bible says in Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

 Note what it says here, “His law doth he meditate day and night” and “whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”.  

That law the Bible is speaking about is God’s Word.  If I were to meditate on God’s Word it means I would ponder, imagine, speak, study, talk, utter, converse with myself, declare, muse, pray, speak, and talk with God in prayer about it. This process literally changes your mind to think like Jesus.  

If you know anything about the Bible, Jesus never made bad decisions.  It is time that we start mediating on God’s Word in areas that are holding us in captivity.  For example, if you are having trouble forgiving others, meditate on Matthew 6:14 because if you forgive people their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  And also Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  After some time, your thoughts will turn to forgiving whoever wronged you so you won’t live in bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness.  That decision will free you from a life of bondage.  

We all need to make right decisions but in order to do that we need to renew our minds with the Word of God.



                                             

Peace in Uncertain Times

How to Have Peace in Uncertain Times

                Ever have those times where things seem out of control? Where everything in your life seems to just go wrong?  You try and fix the situation and it seems like it gets worse. This is where we tend to get stressed and anxious about what we perceive as problems. Combine that with satan whispering all sorts of lies to you and you've got a hot mess on your hands. That’s when you’re most vulnerable to be deceived by the devil.

How do you keep from getting to a point of worry and stress? Simple, by casting your cares on Him because He cares for you (1^st Peter 5:7). I have had people tell me, “Well Pastor Ben, I tried that and I still worry.”  Well that’s impossible, if you truly cast your cares to the Lord. Proverbs 16:3 says “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” The word commit literally means to roll or to roll away.

When you roll all your heavy burdens to the Lord and truly trust Him with it, your mind will be at peace knowing your God works everything out for the good of those who love Him. How do you get to the point of trusting God like that? Know who He is. Know that God is your strength, your rock, your fortress, your deliverer and your shield (Psalm 18:1-3). He will never leave nor forsake you, and is able to deliver you with a great deliverance (Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm18:50). This is how you have peace in uncertain times.

                                  

Discipline The Mind Prayer and Fasting

 This piece will cover two topics. 

The first topic is meant to reiterate what Brother Josh spoke about on Sunday, September 16^th.  The topic was disciplining ones mind to be mindful of God.  If you were not present you should get a recording because it was very good. 



The other topic is going to be about the national day of prayer and fasting scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 29^th, 2012.  The two topics are tied closely together, and what is important to understand is that prayer and fasting will not be effective without the diligence that Josh spoke of.

 Brother Josh gave a very relevant and timely word on Sunday.  I would be shocked if anyone hearing that message was not inspired to do better.  To summarize, he spoke about training one’s mind to spend time with God and in His Word.  Josh compared this to training a child to stay in time out.  When one’s mind wonders from time with God, one must stop it and take it back to what it is supposed to be doing, much like putting a child back in time out when it gets up without permission.




For most of us, spending time with God is a choir.  We find ourselves falling asleep, our mind wonders, or we allow ourselves to be distracted by other things.  





Then, to make matters worse, we give in to sleep and distractions and do not complete our time with God.  When we do this, we are letting Satan know that all he has to do is distract us and we will leave our time with God, missing out on what he had for us.  This needs to change.  No one is going to be faulted for their mind wondering, but when it does, it needs to be caught and put back in its place.  No matter how many times it happens.  Eventually, like a child, the mind will learn not to wonder.  When the mind stops wondering, a person’s time with God will be more productive, and they will receive more revelation from God.

This relates to the national day of prayer and fasting in that Christians are going to need to be discipline not only on 9/29/12, but in the days leading up to it as well.  
I have been meditating on the date quite a bit, and God has revealed some things to me concerning the affect the day can have on the rest of eternity.  I will not get into what those thing are, but what it has done is help me to understand how important that day is.  A day of this important, with the sort of impact that it can have, needs to be approached with preparation and expectation.  The worst thing that the Body of Christ can do is treat 9/29 as another exercise.  If the day is not approached with seriousness by Christians, the day will be lost and it will not be taken seriously by the world.  I would encourage all believers to be in prayer now and in the days to come about how God would have you prepare for the day.

Disciplining one’s mind is a worldly exercise that takes time and training.  Most of us fall short of the discipline that it takes to kick start a national move of God.  God’s grace can supernaturally step in as a substitute for the discipline we lack in the natural.  That grace will allow us to focus on His will during this time of prayer and fasting.  There are certain things that God is having me do that will bring his grace upon me and my family.  Part of that grace is the focus and discipline that is needed to make that day a success for His Kingdom.  Christians need to be in prayer now regarding what God would have them do to ignite that grace.



What are you doing to prepare for this national day of prayer and fasting?  Do you believe that this date can change the course of this nation?  If you have not started to prepare, use these questions in your quiet time with God to figure out what He would have you do.  Force yourself to give God your undivided attention until the Holy Spirit speaks to you, and do not resist the assignment that God gives you.  As the Body of Christ we cannot afford to take this day lightly.  Remember, one will put a thousand to flight, two will put ten thousand to flight.  Just think of what and entire nation of believers can do.

Change

Change is Good.

As we approach our church wide day of prayer on September 29^th .   I have been examining myself for areas where God wants me to make changes.  The basis of this is really wanting a closer relationship with God. Growing up, I had always heard change was a bad thing. I developed the mindset that resisted change.

Recently, I heard a story of a snake that escaped its cage at a local school. Despite efforts by school officials and the animal control agency to find the snake, it was nowhere to be found.  Someone decided to leave the cage door open and turn the heat rock back on. The snake returned.  Many times, we behave the same way. We find a comfort zone and park ourselves there. We may venture out but usually return to what is familiar or comfortable.

The Bible teaches us that God wants us to change to be like Him.

Ephesians 4:22 – 23 says : That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 The word renewed in verse 23 means to “renovate”.   I have to examine the way I think, my beliefs and behaviors. If they don’t line up with the Word of God, I am are required to change.  That is serious renovation or change.

So how did I begin the process? During Sunday church service we were told to routinely say,” I believe God, I belong to God, I serve God”  I also added “ I love God.”  We were also instructed to start saying, “Without Him, I can do nothing, know nothing, have nothing.”

I began to say those things, then I would ask God to show me where I had pride in my life that would prevent me from seeing areas that needed renovation.  I would sit quietly and listen for instruction.  God started showing me where I needed to change. 

 Changing a lot of times is simply saying, God you’re right, forgive me, I repent of that. Instead of that wrong behavior or belief,  I replace that with Your Truth and the power of your Holy Spirit then I move on. 

The change brings peace, freedom, and a closer relationship with Him, the Creator of the universe. All because He loves us and gave His best for us.

He wants us all to be more like Him.  Let’s step out of our comfort zone, and live recklessly for God.

                                   

Peace That Passes Understanding

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Women Motivated 4 L.I.F.E.

Peace That Passes Understanding

Are you tired of letting the devil get you all stirred up? Do you easily get thrown into a panic or tizzy? When something seems to go wrong in your day, does a multitude of one thing after the next go wrong? Are you often losing things and spending needed time to locate it? Does something someone says or does throw you into a tizzy and you respond with words or actions you later regret?

If any of the above questions sound familiar there is hope! There is absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing worth losing your peace over!

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:7

Facts about Peace:

God gave us a supernatural peace, unlike the worldly peace offered to us. Peace came to earth on the very first Christmas in Luke 2:8-14. True peace was given and like all spiritual blessings, we must renew our mind to His Word about his peace.

It transcends, outdoes, surpasses, excels, rises above, and goes beyond and over the top of any other kind of peace.

Peace begins with trusting God and believing that His Word is true. By choosing to stay in peace we are expressing our faith in God.

Isaiah 26:3 “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You and hopes confidently in You.”

The Hebrew word for peace in this scripture means “completion, safety, soundness, favor, healing, wholeness, prosperity, quietness, rest.” It is supernatural and is released only by a choice to believe in God.

Benefits of Perfect Peace

Peace is like a spiritual compass. It will give us a true north in all situations. If we keep this peace by disciplining ourselves not to lose it, then we will hear His voice successfully and walk in prosperity in not only the good times, but also the rough times. God will reveal answers and wisdom to us from the spiritual realm that we would never have known in the natural realm.

The mind which is the control center for the human being, determines the condition of a person’s life. From Isaiah 26:3 we see that this peace keeps our hearts and minds. The Greek word for “keep” is a military term expressing an idea of a soldier who stood faithfully at their post of the city gate to guard and control all who went in and out of the city. They were a gate monitor. No one entered or exited the city without their approval.

Therefore this peace, if allowed to work in our lives, will stand at the gates of our hearts and minds monitoring everything trying to enter our hearts, minds and emotions. When God’s peace is ruling us, nothing can get past that divine “guard” and slip into our hearts and minds without approval! It disables the devil’s ability to disturb us by preventing his attacks to slip into our minds.

Perfect peace protects, guards, keeps, and defends.

Facts About Fear:

The opposite of true peace is fear. Jesus always addressed fear in man, because He knew it would prevent man from tapping into the Divine supernatural realm. Mark 4:36-40 and Luke 8:41.

When we are in fear we cannot hear God speak to us. In the spiritual realm, fear literally opens the door, or attracts, negative things to come on us. The very thing we fear will come upon us. Proverbs 10:24 “The thing a wicked man fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.”

We must recognize when fear is in operation against us. We need to realize what initiates fear and how it effects us.

Feelings, thoughts, physical manifestations, or words of fear are:

• “I feel anxious, stressed, in a tizzy, uptight, and upset. I have so much to do. How am I going to get it all done?”
• You find yourself yelling at the kids and your husband. Even getting short and impatient with the people at the store. Wanting to just run away. Can’t wait until Christmas is over and things are back to normal.

You have a headache, making poor food choices for convenience, restless sleep, sweaty palms, adrenaline rush, or just freeze up.

Plan of Action:

We can refuse to allow the devil to access us, throw us in a panic and anxiety, or push any button inside us any longer!

Practice P.E.A.C.E.

Pause. Take a step back. Breathe.

Ear to the Lord. Be still before the Lord. Abide in Him.

Ask the Lord what to do.

Carry out His plan of action. Walk in obedience.

Exalt Him for His faithfulness in keeping your heart and mind in perfect peace.

Confession:

I confess that I am guarded and protected by the powerful peace of God that works in my life. It rises up and dominates my mind; it controls my thinking; and it determines the condition of my life and the environment where I live and work. I am unaffected by the circumstances that surround me, for this supernatural peace stands at the gate of my mind and emotions to monitor everything that tries to access me. Because no fretting, anxiety, panic, or worry is allowed to enter me. I remain free, calm, and peaceful, even in difficult situations that in the past would have upset me!

Day 3 Love Dare Love Is Not Selfish

Day 3 – Love is not selfish

Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

The dare today required that I do something that said “I was thinking of you today.”

My Notes:

I asked myself these questions:

· Do I truly want what’s best for my wife?
· Do I want them to feel loved by me?
· Do they believe I have their best interests in mind?
· Do they see me as looking out for myself first?

I looked at God’s example. He did what was best for me. When He was one the cross, He had me on his mind. He had my best interest in mind. The Bible says in Eph 5:1 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;” The word follow in the Greek means to imitate God. I am to imitate God. He showed His love to me, therefore, I can imitate Him and show His love to my spouse. I have my wife’s best interest in mind. I would her to succeed.

What did I do for the dare today? I went out and got Kathy a book. She loves to read. I gave it to her and told her I loved her. I was thinking of her today.

Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.