* A Mindset for Reset

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  
Philippians 2:5

 

If we are going to do something to the best of our ability correctly, we must have the right mindset to succeed at it.  Mindsets play a significant role in determining life's outcomes. By understanding, adapting and shifting our mindset, we can improve all sorts of things like our health, we can decrease our stress and become more resilient to life's challenges and we can certainly improve our stability and success in our walk with Jesus.  A mindset is one that influences how we think, feel, and behave in any given situation.  Our behavior is directly influenced by the mindset that we adopt in each situation.  There are all types of mindsets that we can adopt and adhere to as we go through this life like:   

Ø  A Self-trust mindset. To do anything great, you have to be able to trust yourself and believe in your capabilities  

      Ø  A Goal-setting mindset 

      Ø  A Patient mindset

      Ø  A Courageous mindset 

      Ø  A Focused mindset 

      Ø  A Positive mindset 

      Ø  A Learning mindset

All of these are good mindsets to have, but I want to talk about the one that deals with a focused mindset.  Apostle Paul is representative of one, who with the right mindset which was to be focused, was able to be all and do all that God called him to do.  He said:

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:14

If we want to obtain the prize, we have to have a determined mindset that is focused such as Apostle Paul’s that says:

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:13  

When we pair that mindset with the things of God, we have a heavenly mindset.  And that’s what we need to win this race, to obtain the prize – a heavenly mindset; all eyes on Jesus!  But, we as believers have to understand that we are no longer part of this world, and we must actively “seek” to think the way God has called us to think. We must seek things above.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Colossians 3:1

There is a process that can help us on our journey called the 4 D’s – duty, discipline, desire and delight.  It is the discipline aspect that deals with the mind.  Apostle Paul says:

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.  Philippians 3:15

This is where I say we have work to do.  Right now, we are studying Roman’s 12 and the first thing that stood out to me was verse 1 which states: 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  Romans 12:1

My question to that is well, how do I do that; particularly when I’m used to doing things my way; my wants and desires come first.  Apostle Paul must be a mind-reader because He comes back in verse 2 and says:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, . . .  Romans 12:2

This is something that we have to do ourselves as we lean on God and His Holy Spirit for support.

It takes discipline to get, maintain and keep a heavenly, God-centered, Jesus first attitude mindset

The inquiring mind is full of questions like:  How do we practice and develop this discipline of thinking on things above, transforming our mind, when the world and enemy influences are constantly beseeching us?  How can we actively discipline our self to seek those things above?  Well, I have some tips for you: 

®       Actively seek heavenly things by impressing Scripture upon our heart

It is through Scripture that we renew our minds and start to think on things that are noble, good, and righteous—we start to think more like God and less like the world. We adopt kingdom standards and loose worldly standards.  Inquiring minds want to know - how do we impress Scripture upon our hearts? Listen to what Moses said to Israel:

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6–9 NLT)

He gives them several ways to impress God’s Word on their hearts.  

v  They were to teach the Word of God to their children.

If you are going to think on heavenly things, you must be a teacher. You must teach it to your friends; teach it in small groups; teach it to strangers. When you have to teach something, you can’t help but think upon it all the time. 

v  They were to talk about the Word of God everywhere: at home, when walking, when lying down, when getting up.

This didn’t mean that they were to only have theological conversations. This meant that they needed to view everything from the mindset of God and what God thought about things.

We should automatically think about what Scripture says when we see movies, watch the news, or are asked a simple question. And yes, you will be considered narrow-mined when you do this, but this is the type of mind that pleases God—a mind that is set on God’s Word.  

v  They were to develop reminders to help them memorize it; they were to tie it on their hands, foreheads, door frames, and gates.

This may be done literally as Israel did or with memory flash cards, pictures, and paintings, but, even more so, we should set up places and times in our daily life where we will always encounter the Word of God. This includes things like daily meditation, small group meetings.  It is important that we gather with like-minded individuals:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  Hebrews 10:25

By tying it on their hands, head, and doors, they constantly saw the Word of God. This is important because if we don’t do this, we may sometimes go a week and realize, “I haven’t read the Word of God; not only have I not read it, haven’t given it any thought”

It sounds like a lot of work, but in order to “set,” to have a mind that is immovable from the things of God, it takes discipline. Many believers know nothing of a mind that has “set the Lord before them at all times and they will not be shaken”

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalms 16:8)

Many Believers are shaken by every little event. A mind that is “set” happens only by rigorous acts of discipline, and we must seek to develop this through study of the Word of God.

How else do we discipline our mind?

®      Actively seek heavenly things by rejecting everything that is not from God.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2)

By this same token, we have to guard our minds from the enemy and from worldly infiltration so that we are not so easily shaken

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  2 Thessalonians 2:2

Knowing the word of God guards our mind so that we are not shaken by the lies, deceit, fairy tales, misinformation, disinformation, truth versus God’s truth.  We are stabilized, rooted and grounded by the word of God. 

Apostle Paul said we should not only seek things above but also turn away from earthly things. In order to think heavenly thoughts, we must get rid of or keep away from things that would draw us away from God.

For example, we are called to get rid of anxieties. Scripture says,

“Be anxious for nothing”  (Phillipians 4:6)

While your mind and emotions are overcome with anxiety-ridden thoughts, there is no way that God can be the center of your thoughts.   That’s just one thing, we are also called to get rid of lust, anger, envy, jealousy, and anything else that is not of God

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (Colossians 3:5–9)

That takes a focused, determined, heavenly mindset!  A determined heavenly mindset will say, this may mean 

ü  not watching certain TV shows, 

ü  not reading certain magazines or books, 

ü  not listening to certain music, 

ü  not hanging around certain people, especially when we find they contribute to drawing us away from God through ungodly thoughts and actions.

We must always zealously protect our minds. Apostle Apostle Paul said,

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4–5).

We must take captive every thought and bring it into submission to Christ. Make no mistake here, brethren. Our thoughts are not neutral, innocent, or harmless. Our minds are either lorded by Christ or someone or something else. Is Christ Lord of your thoughts?

®      The believer actively seeks heavenly things by developing a consistent prayer life.

“Be joyful always; pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–17)

Or like in our bible study:

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;  Romans 12:12

It is through the discipline of prayer that we develop a heavenly mindset. We must learn how to pray at all times, bringing every thought before our Father.

Be like Peter, who while he was in prison, prayed without ceasing. 

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.  Acts 12:5

®      The believer actively seeks heavenly things by fostering healthy fellowship.

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20)

Our thinking is often affected by our friends. The fool in Scripture is a person who says there is no God or does not live for God

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. . . (Psalms 14:1).

– and then conducts themselves accordingly rather the words ever come out of their mouth – thier action says it all. 

Therefore, the wise are people who fear (reverence) and honor God

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.   (Proverbs. 9:10)

We must develop friendships with wise, godly believers who help us seek spiritual things.

What type of thoughts do you have that commonly reject a heavenly mindset? How is God calling you to practice these disciplines to develop a heavenly mindset; a mindset that keeps us in a position for a reset?

Remember that a mindset is more than an idea; it has more weight and causes you to do what you thought you couldn’t do.

(Sermonette)

* Complete Surrender to Jesus Christ

Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart 

and with all your soul and with all your mind.  
Matthew 22:37

God's true Church, the body of Christ, consists of those of us who are willing to surrender their heart, mind, soul and all their strength fully to Christ.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  Mark 12:30

We must be willing to follow Jesus' instruction:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”  Matthew 16:24–25

Sadly, today, many believers more interested in saving their lives, having a good time, fitting into this present society, and living according to the standards of this world that they find it very difficult to even consider actually obeying the powerful teaching and the standards set by God in His mighty word.  They want a relationship but they don’t fear or reverence God.  They speak and act through their lips but their hearts are not in it.

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Matthew 15:8

We cannot afford to harden our hearts against God.  God uses and works with those who have pliable hearts. 

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  Ezekiel 36:26

A perfect relationship with God is one where the heart is pure before God.

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.  Joel 2:13

It is the contrite heart gets God's attention. Make no mistake, it's a heart thing!

 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:17

You may not have this attitude of submission or surrender that is born from a contrite, pure and pliable heart, but it is something that we constantly and consistently strive for.  It is the only way we can truly serve Him – through true submission and surrender to Him.

But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?"   Luke 6:46

Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!  Matthew 7:21–23

We must be careful to obey God according to His standards and not the standards of men.  We don’t want to hear those horrifying words, ‘depart from me’.  

Those who subvert the truth of God; pretending to teach His word, but who in actuality dummy down and invent excuses to "water down" the most basic attributes of godly character are in for a rude awakening!  We cannot select those parts of God’s word that we like and overlook or not do the things that we don’t like or agree with.

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.  If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.  Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  James 2:10–12

The disciple James was clearly referring to the Ten Commandments. Those are the commandments that teach against murder and adultery. He shows that we must obey all of God's commandments; not come up with clever reasons as to why any of them are no longer applicable or that some are to be modified or "watered down" to fit our modern lifestyle.

Rather, the body of Christ consists of those of us who have a genuine fear (reverence) of God who are tired of playing games with religion, and who are willing to diligently seek a true relationship with God, obey His commandments and truly yield ourselves to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in order to live obediently to Him through His Holy Spirit.  Have the mindset of Apostle Paul who said:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20

This declaration by Apostle Paul exemplifies the very essence of true discipleship, of true surrender, true submission of a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. 

 

(Biblical Studies)

* Fundamental Truths

 

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  John 8:32

The sure foundation of the true believer’s faith; the very solid basis of our faith is based on the word of God – the bible.  Without the word of God, we have no basis on which to stand.  Of all the varying religious beliefs, every last one of them is based on or connected to the word of God.  Various religions can have differing opinions, which they often do, but it still leads back to the word of God.  Nothing is more important than that which has to do with the basis of our spiritual and religious knowledge.  At the end of the day, when all has been said and done, the only true and dependable source for the foundation of the Christian’s faith is found in the word of God – the bible.  

The bible is absolutely vital to true believers and it is a vital key that we must be taught and that we must practice if we are to be considered a part of the body of Christ and not just a name on the local church’s roster.  There is a difference in being a member of the body of Christ and a member of the church.  The true believer in God are those who surrender their will to actually do what the Bible says. They will obey God's word even if it brings them test, trials tribulations or even persecution.  The first Christians written about in the book of Acts took their very lives in their hands when they followed Jesus and the original apostles. They were continuously persecuted, sometimes martyred—and often harassed out of their jobs, their cities or even their families.

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.  Acts 8:1

Jesus told all who would follow Him:

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26–27

When challenged about which power healed a crippled man, Peter quickly and firmed the people:

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  Acts 4:10–12

We take this statement,   Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, as it is written in the word of God as gospel truth.  To be a part of the body of Christ, we must sincerely follow Peter's inspired instruction which was given by him on the day of Pentecost:

Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.   Acts 2:38–39

When we come to the point of being willing to sincerely repent of breaking God's statue —

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.   1 John 3:4

—we must be baptized in the name of Jesus and receive His Holy Spirit. At that moment, the new Christian will be totally forgiven of past sins, and will become a member of God's Church.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Remember, this is more than having your name added to the church roster.  We don’t join the body of Christ; we are ingrafted in as we follow and do as God’s word instructs and teaches.  Apostle Paul explains:

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  Romans 8:9

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:13

Through the total surrender of our heart, mind and body to God through Jesus Christ as Savior, we are planted—put into—the Church of God, which is Christ's body.   God requires all of us

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  Mark 12:30

With Jesus as  our Lord and Savior, we no longer belong to ourself anymore.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.   1 Corinthians 6:19–20

What you have just read are some basic fundamental truths found in the word of God upon which we are to build our lives in God.  Through the scriptures, take God at His word and see how you are aligning yourself to it.

Biblical Studies

* The Fear (Reverence) of God

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.  
Psalms 111:10

Before creating mankind, God created Lucifer—one of the three cherubs or archangels, who originally surrounded His throne. In Latin, ‘Lucifer’ means light bringer or shining star of the dawn. Lucifer was originally created as a powerful, beautiful archangel with tremendous wisdom and capacity

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.  Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Ezekiel 28:11–15

In Isaiah, Lucifer is depicted as the fallen one:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.  Isaiah 14:12–15

Biblical scholars recognize from this and other scriptures that Lucifer's ability and beauty led to a great deal of pride. This pride, in turn, led Lucifer to rebel against his Creator, and his name was later changed from light bringer to Satan—which literally means adversary in Hebrew. Lucifer became God's greatest enemy.

Throughout the entire bible, God shows us that He is determined not to allow any potential adversary to come into His Kingdom who is a potential Satan. We all should recognize how vitally important this is to God. He wants unity and peace in His Kingdom and in His Spirit-led family! He is the Author of love, joy and peace.

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.  1 Corinthians 14:33

Therefore, throughout the entire Bible, God reveals that He will make absolutely sure that any potential son of His will come to have the correct "fear" of God!

As God's word indicates, this fear is not "terror" or being "afraid" of something bad happening! Rather, it is a profound reverence, humility and willingness to obey our Creator and never to rebel against His laws and His righteous ways that always bring peace and joy.

One of the first tests that Abraham, who is known as the father of faith, had to pass is described in Genesis 22.   God tested Abraham  to see whether he would be totally submissive to Him even to the point of sacrificing his only son. At the very last minute—when Abraham had proved his total submission, God’s angel spoke to Him and said:

And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.  Genesis 22:11-12

It was at this point of total submission that God gave Abraham the immense blessing that great physical wealth and power would come upon his descendants, as well as spiritual blessings through his seed:

And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.  Genesis 22:  25-29

Abraham had to prove to God that he "feared" Him; that he reverenced Him, and that he was willing to totally surrender his own will—not just to "believe in" God but to do what God commanded! He was as described in n,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  Proverbs 9:10

 This tremendous awe and deep reverence before our Heavenly Father is indeed the very starting point of true knowledge and true wisdom.

It should be obvious that those in God's true church; the body of Christ, must learn to have this profound reverence and willingness to obey our Heavenly Father who was portrayed so well by Abraham, the father of faith. Members of the body of Christ will prove to themselves what God tells us about faith:   

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6

If we’re to be real followers of Christ, we must totally believe in a real God—the God described in the Bible. And we must believe that, as the bible says, He is a "rewarder" of those who diligently seek Him—not of those who half-heartedly attend the church of their religious convenience rather or not it is bible based just as long as it is socially acceptable to the ‘mass’ and is trending well with the social media.  

True believers will prove to themselves the inspiration of the word of God! Jesus said:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.  Luke 4:4

These believers surrender themselves to follow what Jesus said, and to do what God says in His inspired word. They understand that God "reveals" Himself through His word, not through our human ideologies and imagination. They understand and respond to God’s instruction and wisdom:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16–17

As God makes it abundantly clear, scripture is given not just for our encouragement but for reproof and for correction as well as instruction in righteousness.   True believers base their beliefs totally upon God's inspired word!  We accept Jesus Christ revealed in the Bible as both Savior and Lord; the one we must obey.  He is the only one that has the power to save us:

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  Acts 4:12

Those who fail to do so have come up with hundreds of different, competing denominations—each with different doctrines, practices and concepts of what God is like.  But God lets us know through his word: 

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  Ephesians 4:4-6

To everyone, particularly the called of Christ it bodes well with us to reverence our heavenly Father:

Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  Psalms 33:8

 

Biblical Studies