Taking Thoughts Captive

    

Our old, carnal nature is very susceptible to temptation. Satan attempts to distract our passion for God by stirring up our former desires for sin. His lies remind us of forgotten memories, which trigger negative thoughts and behavior from our soul. The devil knows that if he controls our thoughts, he will also control our actions.

Discouragement often opens our ears to hear Satan’s lies, but focusing on the positive, beautiful aspects of God and His Kingdom keeps our mind on praiseworthy issues (Philippians 4:8). A grateful attitude will ensure our success in this area. The friends we keep, the people we work with and our other associates may influence us to sin or to walk away from God (1 Corinthians 15:33).

However, as we bring our thoughts into obedience to Christ, Satan has no power over us (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). As we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the former lusts of our flesh (Galatians 5:15-25). We seek to build God's eternal Kingdom, rather than to erect our own little kingdom here on earth (Colossians 3:1). Issues which grieve God's Spirit grieve us as well (Ephesians 4:30).

We can also meet with an older Believer for discipleship, to learn the elementary teachings of the Word (Hebrews 6:1). We devour the Word of God, by using a Bible translation we understand or by using a topical Bible. We attend Bible studies with our church family and in our community. God's Spirit perfects us in holiness with the mind and divine nature of Christ (2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Peter 1:4).

Prayer:

Father God, if we sow sin, we will reap corruption (Galatians 6:7-8). That is why You encourage us not to fellowship with unbelievers who walk in darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14-15; Job 4:8; Proverbs 22:8; Hosea 8:7). You pour out Your wrath on all ungodliness and unrighteousness, which prevent Your elect from knowing Your Truth. Submitting our life to Your Word and living according to Your precepts is the only way we can enjoy a fulfilled life on this earth and be ready to rule and reign with Christ in eternity.

Thought for the Day:

We have less of a desire to partake in carnal behavior every day that we spend with the Lord.

Effective Prayer

The Body of Christ performs a vital ministry for our spiritual life. As we confess our sins to each other, we hold one another accountable. Also, prayer unites the Body of Christ more deeply than any other spiritual discipline. When we pray for each other, we are healed. There is no disputing the fact that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16).

A wonderful way to learn God's Word, and to gain the insight of Saints who already walked the same path, in the season of life in which we are living, is called discipleship. However, there is no better source of discipleship than sitting at Jesus feet (Luke 10:38-42). Through prayer and by reading His Word, God's Spirit teaches us all things (1 John 2:27).

Our developing relationship with God gives us a more intense desire for holiness, as we realize how deeply our behavior affects our witness and our relationship with our Lord. The clearer we hear God speak to us, the more closely we can follow His voice in our daily life (James 1:5; Jeremiah 29:13; John 10:27). Otherwise, we suffer from impaired spiritual hearing (Matthew 11:15).

God lives in us and we are as close to Him as is possible; but we can form a deeper, more personal bond with Him by spending more time hanging out in His presence. Intimate communication in our prayer closet allows our relationship with God to deepen, because we are spending quality time with our Father (Matthew 22:37; John 17:3).

Prayer:

Father God, You are never far from us. We, however, allow the busyness of life to drown out Your voice and to rob us of our intimate times with You. Remind us to pay attention to You in every moment of every day, so that You can approach us more intimately than ever before (James 4:8). You will fill us with more of Your holiness, as well as Your Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Then we will walk in Your power and victory over sin, the world and Satan (John 14:12-14; Acts 1:8).

Thought for the Day:

New Testament Saints made prayer a priority; why don't we?

- Acts 1:14

The Human Beings – Part Three of Three

What does it really mean to be a Human Being? Read Part One and Part Two of "The Human Beings" and then enjoy this excerpt from the full study of these verses.

VI.   BE-ING ESTABLISHED
Discipleship is the next step, and we do this by being established in the faith, built up in Jesus and abounding in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7). We pray and talk to God with our own voice, in our own way, from the depths of our own heart. We can even ask someone to be our prayer partner, and we covenant to pray with each other every day about the needs in our life, our church, our community, our nation and our world. We also read the Bible in daily devotion. We hear the Bible in weekly sermons and Bible study classes. We hear the Word and the songs in the worship services during the week. All of this establishes our faith and builds us up in Jesus, who gives us many reasons to abound in thanksgiving.
 
VII.  BE-ING COMPLETE    
My favorite verse in the whole Bible states that all the fullness of the Trinity dwells in Jesus in bodily form, and we are complete in Him, because He is the head of all principalities and power (Colossians 2:9-10). Have you ever felt like you are being pulled in a hundred different directions at the same time, a fragmented person inside, a scatterbrain in confusion and distress? Jesus makes us complete in Him. He enters our life at the moment of salvation and brings with Him the Fullness of all of the power of the entire Godhead. He takes away the confusion, the fragmentation and the distress. He brings peace into our hectic lives. He gives us power to be totally filled with His Spirit and to walk in the fullness of God on a daily basis.

 

VIII. BE-ING FREE OF SIN
Jesus forgives our sins.  He wiped them completely out by nailing them to cross. Now we are alive together with Him (Galatians 2:20). He took them all out of the way and remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17; Isaiah 43:25). He also took away Satan’s power. He disarmed the demons of their weapons that they use against us. The only way they can inflict themselves upon us now, is if we give them permission -- consciously or subconsciously -- to influence our lives. If we believe the lies Satan tells us, which are contrary to the Word of God, then we have given Satan permission to torment us (Colossians 2:13-15). We can draw near to God, resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7). It’s a promise!

IX. BE-ING FOCUSED IN YOUR AFFECTIONS
Man is a triune being. We live in a body, we express our self through our soul -- our mind, will, and emotions -- and we are empowered by our spirit, in which the Holy Spirit dwells. One of my favorite songs is:  "As the deer pants for the water in the brook, so my soul pants after You, O God." As we know God more intimately, we pant after Him just like a dear at a brook or a runner panting for water after a race. We long for Him, thirst for Him, desire Him and a relationship with Him more than anything the world has to offer us.

In exchange, God will give us victory, love, peace and His unbroken fellowship with Him (Romans 6:10 Amplified Bible). We were raised from death to life with Christ (Romans 6:4). He calls us to seek only those things, which are heavenly and eternal. He challenges us to set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For we died with Christ and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-3; Galatians 2:20).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, remind us to set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Thank you for dying to give us fullness of life. Help us to learn what it means to be a Human "BE-ing" in You. Help us to find the peace that comes with being led by Your Holy Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. Remind us to give our self permission to stop our hectic lifestyle and to take the time to “be still and know that You are God” (Psalm 46:10).

Thought for the Day:
God has a purpose for your life; and you will find fulfillment in it, only as you allow His Spirit to lead you through it.