Battle in the Mind

If one is seeking to reform their thought life, where does one begin? How does one do it?

If there are thought patterns that make me cringe when Im looking into the eyes of my Creator, when I look upon His holiness and His righteousness in His Word, then what can I do about it?
How can I defame God by thinking of things that are so worthless and unholy in His sight and then think about Him?

Are we destined to accept failure? Is it acceptable to chalk it up to: "its just human nature; there is nothing I can do about it?"

Or should we choose to think more about God?

What do I mean by think more about God? Like a greater quantity or a greater quality? Both.

First of all, we could work on quality. Pick up a copy of Tozer's Knowledge of the Holy. Then, think about the characteristics of Who God is (His Attributes). Or Pick up a Basic Theology book like: The Faith Once for All by Jack Cottrell. I know this ones a big book, but spend time on just reading and reflecting on God's attributes.

When you start contemplating things like eternity, like infinite love, infinite mercy, infinite holiness, unlimited power, the ability to be everywhere all the time, perfect justice, goodness, and grace, it is inevitable that the thought-life improve. Not to mention the prayer-life. After all, how we think about God matters.

After you exhaust some of God's attributes, you could study some of His primary works: Creation, Providence, and Redemption.

You could spend time studying God's providential work in every person's life all the time throughout history and forever and the wonder of it all.

Or you could spend time studying creation and how God created things out of nothing, that before anything was, God was. That God is totally immaterial and not even on the same plane as angels or other immaterial spirits.

Or you could spend time studying the God-Man Jesus Christ Himself and redemption. Equally human and equally divine. Able to sin and yet not ever choosing it. Sinless perfection choosing the Cross to infinitely cover the infinite punishment which sin calls for. Being God in the flesh only He could infinitely suffer to cover over all sin by one act of sacrifice.

Look, the better the quality one's thoughts of God are, the better the alternative of things to think about someone has. Unless our thoughts attempt to reach as far as our finite minds can reach when approaching God, we are probably not really thinking about God. Think about it, God is infinite and we are finite. By very definition of terms we are incapable of fully grasping something that is infinite by using a finite brain. But this very act gives us something truly worthy to contemplate that can help us not think about things which are truly not worthy.

If we wish to take away or change old thought patterns, you better have something better to fill it with. God is better.

Secondly, quantity matters. Regularity matters. You can't starve yourself of worthy contemplation or you will find something else to contemplate. If we aren't centered on God, we will center somewhere else.

It seems that if the quality of thoughts improves, the quantity won't be far behind. If the quality is better, watch out, you will find yourself enjoying entering into contemplation of God (Which is a form of prayer).

Harmony or Tension

Oftentimes people speak of harmony and having their life in balance. This phrase appears to be too eutopian. This is not reality. On the contrary, life is full of chaos, tension, and turmoil. We find ourselves fighting for more. Fighting for more love, more quality family time, more devotional time, more purity, more justice, and the list goes on and on. Battling against us are the unlimited lists of excuses of I was too busy, or I had things to do on my plan for today, or I will pay attention to junior when I am older, or I woke up late I don't have time for God today or whatever.

The fact of the matter is that we have this hunger and thirst for righteousness, a hunger for more of God’s Spirit, and his voice. As Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness” (NIV, Matt 5:6). We are not in harmony, we are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. We desire to know God more. We desire wholeness and purity. We struggle, strive, and even fight for more than the brokenness that we experience. The Apostle John restates this principle in Revelation, “To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the Spring of the Water of Life” (NIV, Rev 21:6). Thus, God’s Church is thirsty for only what He can provide and no other.

On eight separate occasions in Revelation John dictated in varying forms the phrase, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life” (NIV, Rev 2:7). This phrase rings in my ear over and over. The truth is that this world offers tension, struggle, and brokenness. Jesus knew this, and He tells us to fight. In this fight, our strength is measured by our hunger to eat of the Tree of Life and to drink of the Spring of the Water of Life. The Tree and the Spring represent wholeness. Our strength is measured by our hunger to be whole. Knowing both sin and righteousness, the soul cries out for more of wholeness.

We are hungry.

We are thirsty.

for more of God.

Let's embrace that.

Spiritual Warfare

There are three divisions of evil which strike at the Christian. 1) Our own perverse and hard heart 2) The world: Which consists of the mass of unregenerated people and their systems of power, greed, glamour, and perverted sexuality 3) The evil one who commands the world systems and has sway over the unregenerated world without their knowledge

Can sin be overcome in the Christian life? Can a Christian walk in victory?
-Or
Are we destined to failure and constant sin? Are we destined to remain stuck in the same sin Christ found us on our first day of accepting Him?

You know it is strange that I have had many men tell me it is ok to have lustful thoughts in your mind. It is natural. I have been told masturbation is normal, it is part of nature and one must do it. Men you would think should hold a much a higher position than what they do hold these positions. It would probably shock you to hear who speaks things like this.

In what Biblical passage can you refer me that we are to remain in sin that grace may abound? Isn't it just the opposite, as Paul said in Romans 6:2
"By no means!!!! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"

Are we believing God for that?

I am beginning to. Many sins fell off when I first came to know Christ. Now the Holy Spirit is pointing out additional selfish sins of my heart. I thank God for this discipline. May we never accept anything less than Christ formed in us. In the daily walking in the Spirit during prayer, Bible meditation, service, praise, etc, etc. God is trying to transform us into the image of Christ. Will we submit to the Holy Spirits promptings? Or will we excuse them away and dismiss them as natural and silly to think one could walk in victory with our Savoir!!

1 Cor. 10:13 : And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

First in spritual warfare, we have to look in the mirror. We are our worst enemy. The lust for self-gratification in our heart is the enemy that must embrace the cross. This is where we pick up our cross and march in the footsteps of the One who showed us the Way. "To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us. . . . He leads the way, keep close to him. . . . and take up his cross." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship)

Have faith, God always provides a way out to remain in His path....Look for it, be aware of the Scripture, memorize make it part of who you are, so that it is second nature to believe the Holy Spirit to show you the way out of temptation.

Set Me Free

Following is a poem I wrote...I wrote in the throng of fighting against sin in my life. I am coming to understand that the Holy Spirit is convicting and gradually changing my fallen nature into something different. I encourage you all to fight sin in your life and let the Holy Spirit purge you of what it seeks. One day we may just find the Spirit has made ready a spotless bride ready for Jesus.

Set me free, Set me free
From the chains of misery
Oh please, set me free!

My soul longs and even yearns, to be Free
Please set me free

Struggle in darkness, looking for light
I fall in the dark, looking for the Light

Oh please Saviour set me free
from the bondage to this earth, that worries me
no more fear and no more distress

Set me free, Set me free
Oh Lord, my God, my Rock, set me Free!

This place holds for me, struggle and fight, to do whats right
though I strain and cry out in pain
nothing I can do to attain, freedom from sin
I'm shackled to the dark
Oh merciful God, set me free
Your Son came to earth to be
The Key to set me Free

Oh how I love you Lord, My God
You came to take my place on high to the cross
My Lord, My God
you took my place, My Saviour, my God!
Oh how I love your shining face
You are my strength and my song
You have come To set me Free
Will I walk? and believe
You have come to set me free
Your Son, came to be, the key to set me free!

Amazing Grace

The longer I am a Christian, the more I realize...It's more than just a one day conversion and we don't need Jesus anymore...It's more than just choosing Jesus one day of our life 3 years ago. It's choosing Jesus and relying on Him to supply us bread daily. It's seeking His will every day. It's seeking His grace, every day. It's picking up our cross and carrying it until the death of self is complete. It's taking step after step with that cross following Jesus.

I ran smack into a brick wall this weekend. The more I fight against my flesh. The more I strive to be "perfect, as my Father in heaven is perfect." The more I listen to Jesus say, "Go and sin no more." I can't even do good without being prideful about the good that I do. I can't keep the least of His commands. I fail to do what Jesus has asked of me. I realize, I deserve death, but Christ, He deserves my life...for what He did for me. Maybe if I can get myself out of the way enough, He just might be able to do something good, something genuine through me.

I am broken with failure asking for forgiveness for what I fight not to do. Not to run to my Savior asking for forgiveness for what I have asked for many times in the past. Oh how great your Mercy Lord! Oh how glorious, the love you have to wait on me to journey farther with you, to give you total access to me. That I may fully submit all areas of my life. That you may remake me into what you will. My patience for myself grows thin. I can't bear to fail you. Please take this poor sinners life and make it into something, something that brings glory and honor to your name.

Unimaginable, unfathomable...your love! Did you know when you asked of us, what you asked? Did you know the difficulty of what you asked? I think you probably did. So much failure, to strive to be like my Jesus. So much pain, when I fall so short. So much different than what I am, to serve and not to be served, to seek humility and humbleness rather than prop myself up with pride for everyone to look at. Why does it feel like everyone but me has it altogether? Why does it feel like I'm the only one who struggles to follow you? Why does it seem like everyone at church has it altogether?

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me....I once was lost, but now, I'm found...was blind, but now I see so clearly...Halleluah, grace like rain falls down on me. All my stains are washed away. Thank you Lord, for stepping down out of heaven to offer the only life line that can save me...You with me, every day, leading me through this journey, gazing into my eyes letting me know, everything will be alright, one day.........