Renewing Your Mind In Christ

Recently, I have been doing a study, for a class, on making decisions as a Christian. The bible speaks about a renewed mind so I decided to make my topic, renewing your mind in Christ.

I have taken a Dale Carnegie course and have read many books on the subject of having a positive mental attitude. The one flaw, I found was that I wasnโ€™t being my natural self. I wanted to be me, that is the person whom God meant for me to be.

There is one scripture, which comes to mind as Iโ€™m writing this article: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5. Paul is writing to the church at Philippi. When I read scripture, I normally put my name in the verse as if it is written to me or for me. Steve, โ€œlet this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.โ€ Now, the verse has meaning. Forย  me, it means that my mind has to be changed or renewed.

Isa: 55:8-9ย โ€œFor my thoughtsย are not your thoughts,ย neither are your ways my ways,โ€ย declares theย Lord.ย 9ย โ€œAs the heavens are higher than the earth,ย so are my ways higher than your waysย  and my thoughts than your thoughts.โ€ When, I insert my name: โ€œSteve, my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.โ€

Proverbs: 3:5-6ย Trust in theย Lordย with all your heartย and lean not on your own understanding;ย 6ย in all your ways submit to him,ย ย and he will make your pathsย straight.

While driving down from my sons, a verse ran through my mind and now Iโ€™m having trouble remembering it. This happens to us seniors. They are called seniors moments. I know it was words that Jesus spoke..Iโ€™ll be back..this is not the verse, however; this is one verse where Jesus speaks about the mindโ€ฆ Mark 12:30ย  โ€œLove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.โ€

Meditation timeโ€ฆ.Phillipians: 4:8ย Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I found This Christian Thought Life article very enlightening:

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note: this is a work in progress

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Is It A Message From God

The following scripture reading can be extremely helpful in determining whether a word spoken or written is a message from God. John had been speaking about false teachers in the previous verses and as you and I know there are many false teachers today. They are on television, on the internet,they may be our neighbors, family members , co-workers or it might be the pastor at our home church.

How are we to know whether the truth is being spoken or written? Read the following verses prayerfully and meditatively.

1 john 4,1-6 Living Bible. Below is the King James translation.

4ย Dearly loved friends, donโ€™t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around,ย 2ย and the way to find out if their message is from the Holy Spirit is to ask: Does it really agree that Jesus Christ, Godโ€™s Son, actually became man with a human body? If so, then the message is from God.ย 3ย Ifย not, the message is not from God but from one who is against Christ, like theย โ€œAntichristโ€ you have heard about who is going to come, and his attitude of enmity against Christ is already abroad in the world.

4ย Dear young friends, you belong to God and have already won your fight with those who are against Christ because there is someone in your hearts who is stronger than any evil teacher in this wicked world.ย 5ย These men belong to this world, so, quite naturally, they are concerned about worldly affairs and the world pays attention to them.ย 6ย But we are children of God; that is why only those who have walked and talked with God will listen to us. Others wonโ€™t. That is another way to know whether a message is really from God; for if it is, the world wonโ€™t listen to it.

1 John 4ย King James Version (KJV)

4ย Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2ย Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3ย And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4ย Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5ย They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6ย We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Many of us will read the above and not put the teaching into practice. My commitment is to try and memorize those verses and apply the following test. โ€ย and the way to find out if their message is from the Holy Spirit is to ask: Does it really agree that Jesus Christ, Godโ€™s Son, actually became man with a human body? If so, then the message is from God.ย 3ย Ifย not, the message is not from God but from one who is against Christ, like theย โ€œAntichristโ€

Another test,ย 6ย But we are children of God; that is why only those who have walked and talked with God will listen to us. Others wonโ€™t. That is another way to know whether a message is really from God; for if it is, the world wonโ€™t listen to it.

I will also spend some time checking out other articles and messages on the subject.

Be blessed and grow in Christ.

Please feel free to comment.

Steve

Prayer A Conversation With God

Over the past few weeks I have been struggling with prayer. I have been helping teach a class for new Christians and many of them have said that I canโ€™t pray, I donโ€™t know how to pray.ย  My suggestion to them was to look at prayer as a conversation with God. Just talk to God.

I have been a Christian for over forty five years and have prayed in public many times. In my private prayers, especially over the past few weeks, I have been struggling to pray.

Recently, I spoke to a couple of friends about private praying, I asked them if they prayed orally or silently. The consensus was that they prayed silently. We discussed whether silent prayer or oral prayer was more rewarding.

Lately, I have spent some time just orally talking to God. Itโ€™s not with an outside voice as they teach to children but a low conversational tone. It felt good, real and powerful.

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