Most of us have asked God for wisdom and knowledge at one time or another. We have also been asked for them by someone needing help. Whatever the circumstances, God's wisdom & knowledge...never deviates from Christ's character and His actions when He was here on earth. Like anything else...anything...God wants our faith and gaze to always end up back on Christ Jesus. Why?
Col. 2:1I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ Himself. 3In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. 7Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powersa of this world, rather than from Christ. 9For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.b10So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the Head over every ruler and authority.
We want to obey God...to emulate Christ...yet, we'll fail...or we'll be trying and trying in our own flesh...unless we learn to do it a different way. Not too long ago in our recent history the WWJD movement began. However, it faded, but why? This article has an idea about that....
We cannot do anything 'God derived' in our flesh, so as to bear the kind of fruit that accomplishes His purposes. This is why it behooves us to stand back for a time and ask God to teach us to be fruit bearers, instead of 'trying' and exerting ourselves to bear fruit.
Then even when we do bear fruit by own efforts, what comes of it? Is it lasting fruit? This is the question that the believers before us perhaps did not understand...which is why the movement that had good intentions, sunk into near nothingness ~ like a house built on sand...or wine skin that burst ~ because it had old wine put into it.
Evil wars against the human body that is already weak, then fights to sway our mind away from Christ so it can't cooperate with the things of the Spirit. ~ Who will give us the victory over these things...so our body and mind can be used for God, instead of against Him?
1 John 5:4 For
everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome
the world, even our faith.
Faith in what or whom? In ourselves? In our own abilities? In our own actions? In our own common sense? In our own knowledge and wisdom? In our own feelings? In our own ways? In our own talents? In our own intellect? In our own interpersonal skills?
OR
Faith in Christ Jesus? In His abilities? In His actions? In His common sense? In His knowledge and wisdom? In His feelings? In His ways? In His talents? In His intellect? and In His interpersonal skills?
Which source do you have faith in so as to be a 'happy tree'? A fruit bearer who is living it's purpose and shares in the blessings??
You who have been born of God...so you have been planted IN Him...and your roots have complete access to the Source...to Christ Jesus. He has given you a new nature, He is inside and with and around you....as well as His written word is before you...He has hemed you in on everyside! Psalm 139:5 "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand of blessing upon
me". Jesus is your everything...including your teacher.
John 13:12When he had finished
washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
13“You call me ‘Teacher’
and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14Now that I, your Lord
and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s
feet. 15I have set you an
example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth,
no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one
who sent him. 17Now that you know
these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
He wants to be our example. He desires to teach us, and then His Holy Spirit remind us, how to live. Our spirit, which has been made new, is very willing, ready and able! However, our body is weak, and is used to doing things the old way. Jesus said inMatt. 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Then Paul, who emulated Christ, is saying the same thing Jesus said here in Rom. 7: "21So I find this law at
work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For
in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law
at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and
making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What
a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to
God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
The disciples walked with Jesus and learned from Him...so we can also walk with Christ through the gospels and learn from Him there as well. John 2:20“What!” they exclaimed.
“It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in
three days?” 21But when Jesus said
“this temple,” he meant his own body. 22After he was raised
from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both
the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.
Paul also learned from and emulated Jesus (1 Cor. 11:1), and so when we go there and read his letters and learn from him...this is also learning from Christ. Phil. 4:9 'Keep putting into practice all you learned and received
from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace
will be with you."
We must remember as we are in this process, that God has not left us clueless at all!! He has shown us in His written word all the specifics...so you and I can become more familiar with what comes from His Spirit and what doesn't. Perhaps the WWJD movement didn't last because the fruit trees were expected to keep on growing and producing God's fruit even when the things not of God began coming out of the same trees?
James 3: 9-18 "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Light and dark can not exist together...and even a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Or perhaps Christ grew into a mere idea, instead of a real Person who was God in the flesh and Who's every word and every action represented God exactly.
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peaceable, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of impartiality and hypocrisy. 18Peacemakers who sow seeds of peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
Gal. 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Wanting to stop murder and other actions that directly cause harm to others should be dealt with...and any good citizen would want some kind of involvement in trying to make this happen, along with creating a more peaceful society. However, God says that we are all sinners...and likewise. we are all equally free and responsible to make our own decisions between ourselves and God...which should give us perspective and make us humble.
But, many times zeal takes over, mixed with immaturity and lack of understanding -- which can be a dangerous combo because then these zealots often times begin to think their job is to police everyone else's lives. So, if this is not already happening by a Pastor or within a church body, then it usually will create some kind of a following without.
Romans 10:1Brothers, my heart’s
desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2For I
can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not
based on knowledge. 3Since they did not
know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own,
they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4Christ is the end of
the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Proverbs 19:2 Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and the one
who acts hastily sins.
If you think about it every single sin has a ripple effect. However, the majority of sin is deliberately aimed at affecting another person - gossip, rape, murder, hate, abuse, adultery, slander, incest, pedophilia, and etc. But, as it says in the following verse, sexual sin is aimed at oneself. (meaning; within consenting adults).
However, much of Christian society today give little attention to all these sins that are profoundly affecting others, and then in comparison are zealous in going after the sexual sins that mainly affects the persons engaged in them. - namely, homosexuality.
1 Cor. 6:18 Run from sexual immorality! "Every sin a person can commit is outside the body." On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.
Then this zeal often goes further and begins to create meddlers. Kind of like a 'Christian Police' of sorts...altho they may use titles that come from the OT and say that they are called by God to take that position. Once I said something in a comment made on a site such as this...a comment that they did not agree with, so their public response was that I was on 'thin ice' with God and that they did their job of telling me the truth so their hands are clean! Then their woeful exclamation at the end was how hard it is to be what they are!
1 Peter 4:15 None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.
Meddler-A busybody in other men's matters (ἀλλοτριοεπίσκοπος)
Only used once in the New Testament. Literally, the overseer of another's matters. One who usurps authority in matters not within his province - a meddler. It is placed in the same verse with very destructive sins. Compare Luke 12:13, Luke 12:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:11. It may refer to the officious interference of Christians in the affairs of their Gentile neighbors, through excess of zeal to conform them to what they considered to be the Christian standard. They felt like they had the authority to basically go behind the closed doors of certain sinners and point out their behaviors.
The OT law was very much like the police, as it's nose was everywhere, policing every move people made. However, it could only police behaviors...and did so without mercy. Yes, it's job was only punitive and to oversee the sinner, but without ever giving the hope of being able to live up to it! It was just like carrying around a curse!
Gal. 3:10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law."
But now because of Christ's death and resurrection, we have the Holy Spirit that goes where the law could never go...right to the heart and the motives...then convicts, and very differently, and very personally! Why differently? Well, simply, how can we even compare a list of rules that can only be impersonal, with God's Spirit which is more than personal...and offers hope for a solid and lasting redemption no matter the sin! Now, this IS good news!
Yes, the gospel is simply the good news that Jesus came to seek and to save all sinners, and gave His life as solid proof...instead of seeking out reasons to condemn any of us!
Along with meddling, another overlooked sin is manipulation...because it can be the most subtle. This has
become such a common practice that it has become socially acceptable, and most
people do not even realize it's happening. No one can accept Christ for me, for instance...NO, I must choose.
However, manipulation goes about as though it can override this...as it differs from
persuasion in that it tries to override a person’s God given right to choose. Manipulation causes someone to do something that they
would not do under normal circumstances...therefore it is rebelling against God because it attempts to usurp not only a person's will, but also God's authority over that person(s).
When guilt, fear, embarrassment, sympathy, and etc. are used to get people to do
what they would not otherwise do, it is manipulation.
"They made me feel guilty so I did what the other person wanted."
Even when someone
deliberately uses another person’s compassionate heart as a means to manipulate
them into complying with their will, it is manipulation...which in itself is also rebellious just like the sin of witchcraft, because it attempts to override God just like overt rebellion would.
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and presumption
is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he
has also rejected you from being king.”
Even fear can be used to manipulate. This happens all too often in churches
when ministers intentionally instill fear of hell or the tribulation into their
congregation in order to manipulate them into reciting the sinners prayer, following church doctrine or
attending church more regularly. Of course, hell and the tribulation are
terrible things but the truth of these things should never be presented as the means to manipulate people.
The church is probably the best place to successfully hide abuses...not only because many people can't believe that abuse could ever happen there (especially their own church), but because when we do something in the name of God...especially when there is enough truth added...people listen and submit.
It starts slowly, undetected. It could start with almost any doctrine...and then slowly it begins to distort that doctrine and then spreads like leaven in a lump of dough. Then it ultimately tears at the pure message of the Gospel.
The biggest hold SA (spiritual abuse) has is that people have not been grounded in even the basic truths of the gospel. For instance, if someone asked you if you like or have ever seen Foyo Persimmons before...and you answer that you've never had one before and don't even know what they look like. They got ya!! Because it would be pretty easy to fo-yo now, wouldn't it?
They could fool you fairly easily. They could tell you about anything if enough of it sounded like the truth...or is mixed with truth. So, they go on and tell you that they only grow in China during the winter months so it is hard to find them at any stores around you. They could make jams and pies out of something else and tell you they were Foyo jams and pies...and you would probably believe anything about them UNLESS you decided to get to know Foyo Persimmons for yourself.
So you go out and find some, eat them, learn about them and make some desserts from them...and learn that almost everything they said was false. But you would have never known it unless you found out the complete truth for yourself. (I hope you do, they are yummy when still crunchy!)
Eph. 5: 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Circumspectly: taking into consideration all possible circumstances and consequences before acting. Looking at all possible angles and perspectives. (Not just believing because it sounds good.)
So, what are the very basics of the gospel?? The word 'gospel' means Good News. Many people are preaching vehemently against sin...especially certain sins...with those sinners and their sins spread across a marque - while loudly lamenting how our country is going to hell for allowing these sins to go on...and call it the gospel. But I dare say that it is not.
Why is it not? Because Jesus was and is not fragmented. Meaning He is not going to say that He did not come to condemn the world, then turn around in another instance and act towards sinners as tho that is exactly why He came! His intents and His congruent actions were always directed at seeking people out for the purpose of showing God's profound love and salvation. Period. This IS why it was called the 'Good News'...because it WAS and is good news!
Luke 19:10 Indeed, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save people
who are lost."
John 3:17 For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him.
This is also why His ministry included confronting the spiritual abusers of the day - the Pharisees, to name one group. They worked hard at promoting themselves and making God appear to be a burdensome God that is very hard to please.
An atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.
'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely. '
'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'
'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes'
'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'
The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible! He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'
'Yes sir, I would.'
'So you're good...!'
'I wouldn't say that.'
'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'
The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'Er..yes,' the student says.
'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'
'Then where does Satan come from?'
The student falters. 'From God'
'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir..'
'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'
'Yes'
'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'
Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'
The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'
'So who created them?'
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'
The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'No sir. I've never seen Him.'
'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not..'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'
'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still believe in him?'
'Yes'
'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'
'Nothing,' the student replies.. 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat? '
' Yes.
'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too.'
'No sir, there isn't.'
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly become s very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.
There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.
Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'
'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation.. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'
'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'
1 John 1: 5 'This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all'. In darkness there is (in Gal. 5:20) 'the worship of idols, witchcraft, anger of man,
hateds, contention, rivalry, rage, insolence, man instigated conflict, divisions and quarrels'.
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'
'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'
The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'
'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.'
'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor.. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'
'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'
'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter.
'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.' 'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'
Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'
'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'
Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'
To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'
The professor sat down.
The student was Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein wrote a book titled God vs. Science in 1921.
Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted. (Law -vs- Law of Love) Albert Einstein
There is an epidemic of loneliness , not just here in the USA, but everywhere. Please take a minute and read this short article; http://www.joshhunt.com/mail18.htm
However, God has an answer for this if we but heed His call. In fact that call comes in the form of a command...and that command is the answer not only to loneliness, but also to providing the very best way to spread the gospel - by actually reaching out a hand to whomever God puts in your path.
Scripture says that if we are not loving others, then we do not know God. (1 John 4:7-8) Why? Because God is love, and if He is truly in your heart then He will be pulling at your heart to reach out in some form or fashion. Have you thought about this? It appears many people give it very little thought...or the plague of loneliness and the lack of the gospel being spread in the way where people are anxious to respond, would not be as much of a concern as it is.
I'm sure you notice in scripture the multitude of times that love is indirectly or directly spoken about...and how direct God is about the part love plays in our walk...even to the point of making it a command. Yet, do we take it seriously?
But some how I think that if we were loving as we are supposed to then the church would be getting the similar reaction as Christ got.
People followed Him in great numbers. They would sit and listen to Him for hours. However, how hard is it to get people to go to church with us? When we are with people, do they see something different in us...something that attracts them - instead of repelling them...or causing no reaction at all?
I believe that God's love, is a sacrificial, powerful love that does not show favoritism. It is not man's kind of love that has limits and distractions and usually only hangs around as long as the feelings do.
Philippians 2:5
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
I submit that God's whole plan is based on His love...therefore every New Testament scripture either directly or indirectly is pointing at another way of looking at God's love...and it is His love that ties all scripture together. SO... each one is about what His love is, or what it's not...and how important it is to God for our lives. God beseeches us...
Ephesians 5:2 Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service of worship.
1 Thess. 4:9 But we don't need to write to you about the importance of
loving each other, for God Himself has taught you to love one another.
The top section of this post is re-blogged (with slight edits) from Simply Juliana http://simplyjuliana.com
God is vehemently against worry. It only produces stress, strain and death. Jesus preached against it. Paul preached against it. The whole Bible is against worry because Satan designed it.
Take Philippians 4:6-7 as a command. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The Amplified Bible says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything.” I Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
Casting all your care upon him….” Not 75 percent of your care. Not everything but your kids or everything but your finances. Your confession every morning should be, “I do not have a care, because it has been cast over on my Lord.” Cast out every worried thought that would trample its way into your thinking. Roll it over onto Jesus.
If I tossed an item over to someone, and they took it with them...then I no longer have it. So if you asked me for it, I would have to say, sorry!
That’s what we need to do with our cares. We must cast them over on the Lord and not try to take them back! If Satan brings a worried thought to your mind, saying, What if…, you can tell him to talk to God about it. It is in His hands, not yours!
Many people want God to supernaturally remove their worry. But that’s not the way to get the peace of God. God’s peace comes by acting on His Word that says to cast all of your worry and anxiety over on Him. You must replace those thoughts with the Word. Philippians 4:8 says to think on “whatsoever things are true…honest…just…lovely…of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
You are the one who must control your mind. The Word says the peace of God will garrison and mount guard over your heart and mind (Philippians 4:7, The Amplified Bible). But you are going to have to do something. You must keep your thoughts under control.
II Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” People have told me they can’t quit worrying. They can! Anyone can stop worrying. The verse before that says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but powerful through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The strongholds of Satan are in the mind. He makes suggestions like, It won’t work this time, and What if… and, But….
The power of God begins to operate when you cast your care over on Him. As long as you worry about it, you only hinder the flow of His power and tie His hands.
Meditate on these three scriptures: I Peter 5:6-7; II Corinthians 10:5 and Philippians 4:6. Joshua 1:8 says if you will meditate in the Word day and night, you will be able to see how to do it. Philippians 4:9 says, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do….” As you give your attention to these scriptures, the Holy Spirit will reveal this truth to you and you will then be able to act on it!
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.” You don’t have to worry again. The greater One dwells in you. Commit to it. You will never worry again. –Ken Copeland
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Spreading Peace
James 3:18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
It is NOT our job to spread conflict. Some who would disagree with this I've heard argue that Christ said that He did not come to bring peace, as in Matthew 10: 34 "Don't assume that I came to bring peace on the
earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword". However, this does not mean for you and I to spread conflict...as it was Christ speaking about Himself.
Moreover, we need to realize the sword He was talking about here is the natural conflict that truth causes...and the conflict He caused merely by being here amongst us. He did not mean that He came here swinging a sword. His words, His light, His truth, His power, His reaction to the Pharisees, His love of people over rules and His utter love of sinners ALL caused conflict and division just naturally...but, this division is one that is via the Spirit, as it separates truth from lie...light from darkness...and what is inside a persons heart. Where as the conflict humans produce is fleshly and just causes trouble for the reasons of opinion and self-interest.
Conflict that is from the carnal nature is produced from a human's coercion of some sort...to get other people to submit to their ways and opinions for that human's sake...even if they argue their opinions stem from truth.However, in the conflict that stems from truth, human's don't have to say a word or even be present, because it is totally a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the people for the people's sake.
1 Tim.6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw
yourself.
1 Cor. 3:3 For you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You
are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you
are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the
world?
Heb. 4:12 God's word is living and active. It is sharper than any
two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the
place where joints and marrow meet. God's word judges a person's thoughts and
intentions.
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He is the Prince of Peace Who's Spirit produces peace along with all the other luscious fruits. His Holy Spirit does NOT grow conflict! In fact if we have the Holy Spirit then any conflict that we would deliberately produce stems from self-interest and the old nature, and NOT from God. If we would be speaking the truth in love however. Truly - in love...then the truth is what will naturally cause the conflict.
Gal. 5:22 But the fruits of The Spirit are
love, joy, peace, patience, sweetness, goodness, faith,
Gal. 5:20 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious...idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealously,
outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions...
Let's say you are standing in the grocery line one day and because you kindly encouraged the women in back of you to go ahead of you, she starts a conversation with you. She is thankful and is obviously open to you and so you decide to say something about the Lord to her. However, when you do she automatically gets agitated and turns...then as she leaves after paying she turns around and gives you a sour look.
This is a natural conflict that occurred because of the truth she was faced with...like a clash of light with darkness...which can produce good things down the line in her life because she was confronted with the truth! It was not at all because you were negligent or trying to produce conflict...as you spoke the truth with love!
Now, how about if you were in line and the person behind you had only a couple of things and you had many more items then she had. She is obviously anxious, but you kind of ignore her, but then you figure you better get your witness in for the week, so you turn to her and try to push a track into her hand and tell her that she better get right with God because the end is near.
Then you turn and pay....and as you are on your way out you glance over and see her roll her eyes and shack her head while fumbling to get her items on the belt without dropping them. In this instance I can say that I doubt it was the truth that caused her discomfort.
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