Monday, November 28, 2011

HOW DO I THINK ON THESE THINGS?

PART 3.....MODUS OPERANDI.....Foundational Truths

REQUIREMENTS:
Thinking Biblically, which we attempt to do and share daily here and elsewhere, requires a mind surrendered completely to God. It is also necessary to be teachable.


Being teachable requires humility.

Humility requires your acknowledgement that He is God and WE ARE NOT!



If all of this is lined up, we have the Blueprint for the Foundation of a Mind set on the Kingdom of God and not of this world! We now have something Holy Spirit can work with! God resists the proud but gives Grace to the Humble.


Therefore:


FROM THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4:
(Exhortations in BOLD BLUE)
A. THE FOUNDATION FOR THE RIGHT MINDSET:


4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! -


Worship and Praise! Gratitude over what He has done for you will spur you to have joy unspeakable and an unmistakeably thankful heart! This leads to WORSHIP!!!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 



Be kind, compassionate and gentle like our Savior. He was/is God and could have thrown His Power around - He didn't! He came to love the unloveable and save the "un-saveable" (so to speak). Don't be a doormat, yet show the Love of Christ. It wins every time!


6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 


While the world around you is losing their collective minds - you stand firm in the knowledge that YOU are God's Child. Nothing can separate you from Him and Holy Spirit (or God in us) confirms this, if you're paying attention and do not grieve Him by active, ongoing sin! 
Secondly - pray with humility and thanksgiving.  DO NOT GO TO GOD WITH A LAUNDRY LIST...HAVE A LIST...BUT GET TO IT AFTER YOU HAVE PROPERLY PRAISED AND THANKED HIM, my friends! He already knows what we are going to ask Him to do! He is waiting to see HOW you're going to ask! 
Ask with arrogance - forgeddaboudit!
Ask with meekness and a spirit of helplessness - He listens!
When God listens, He gives peace, revelation right away. The answer may take time, or not, but an answer will come! He has guaranteed it!


7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


You are to pour all of these attributes above, as the concrete into your "Mindset Foundation". Look at the list in just these past few comments in blue:
Humility
Gentleness
Compassion
Self-control
Joy
Gratitude
Worship.....why, some of these sound like the Fruits of the Spirit!!!!!!!!!!! 
You are correct! That's the Foundation!


Finally - He said, GUARD your hearts! Do not love the flesh, tempting sights and sounds of this World, more than you love God! Guard your heart means - WATCH IT! Don't fall for temptation to flirt with disaster, either with an illicit affair or false doctrine or nice sounding cultural trends etc!
You should not just guard your heart, and especially if you are married, but protect garbage from going into your mind! This can be garbage from TV, even harmless sounding things like political shows which can rile you up...turn away from them....!!



TOMORROW: THE FORMULA (IN SOME DETAIL) FOR THE RIGHT MINDSET!


(image by google images)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was reading Phil 4 yesterday! Love it! REJOICE!

The Bernie Lutchman Blog said...

Thank you! The entire book of Philippians is a gem!