Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to ask you a little question.
Have you ever gotten up for breakfast in the morning, and as you walked through your living room, you noticed that it was a complete mess. When you finished cooking your food, you pulled up a chair and sat down at the kitchen table, but when you finally began to read the morning paper, you realized that your mind wasn’t on the news at all, it was on cleaning. You just couldn’t get it out of your mind. After putting your dirty dishes in the sink, you walk to the bathroom, tripping over some toys on the way. As you brushed your teeth, you were wondering if the filter bag had been changed in the vacuum. Twenty minutes later, your thoughts have provoked you to action, and off to work you go, pulling out the broom from the closet, and reaching for the dustpan.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
The mind is a very powerful thing, capable of leading you in a certain direction, or into certain activities. What you think about during your day has a great effect on how you live your life and what you do. What you focus your thoughts on matters greatly to becoming a successful follower of Jesus Christ. In order to fulfill the high calling of obedience to Him, we must redirect our minds on good things, rather than the things of the flesh.
Romans 8. ⁵ For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
You have to be very careful about what you allow into your head. Someone might listen to classical music, while somebody else listens to music with foul and abusive lyrics. Someone might study God’s Holy Word, while somebody else might study how to break into a bank vault. Someone might look at a beautiful sunset, while somebody else stares at pornography. What you put into the mind, is what eventually comes out. It’s like the old saying “ garbage in garbage out.” When you allow sinful thoughts into your mind, it’s like having a sliver buried deep in your thumb. Weeks later it begins to fester, and eventually finds its way to the surface.
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”. Matthew 15:18
The mind is a terrible thing to waste, especially on sinful things that only result in damnation. You must never allow carnal thoughts to enter into the mind, because when people begin to obsess on them, it can lead them into sinful activities. It’s wonderful to obsess on spiritual things, but not to lust after evil. The more that they dwell on it, the more they are enticed into action. If they continue down that path, it will only result in critical failure, and eventual death.
James 1 ¹⁴ But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. ¹⁵ Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Many people who profess to be Christian, are really not Christian at all. I have always said that there will be many people who have been baptized into the Christian Life that will end up cast into the Lake of Fire. This is because they never truly repented of their sins, and humbly submitted themselves to the will of God. Instead of re-focusing their mind and attention on the things of God, they continued to focus their mind on earthly things.
Philippians 3 ¹⁷ Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. ¹⁸ (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹ Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
The entire Christian life is about becoming pleasing to God. To please somebody means to be obedient to them. Jesus has always been perfectly obedient to the Heavenly Father, as an example of how each of us need to live our lives.
“And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”. Mark 1:11
1 John 2 ⁶ He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Those who mind Earthly things are enemies of the Cross of Christ. The Lord Jesus died so we could have a new opportunity to do what’s right with our lives, but some people never change. Although they were forgiven for their sins in the past, they were never capable of ceasing from sin.
“Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:” 2 Peter 2:14
“And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” Matthew 9:4
The Apostle wanted every thought to be brought into obedience to Christ.
“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;” 2 Corinthians 10:5
We live in a day and age when there is a massive amount of information flowing throughout the world. There is so much available that was never available in the past. Some of it’s good, but a lot of it is bad, and you will have to carefully choose what you are going to allow in your mind. A good place to begin is with regular daily reading of God’s Word and hearing it preached. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all, so the more that we fill up on scripture, the more our lamps are illuminated with the good things of God. There are so many wonderful things that we can place our thoughts on, and the Apostle gives us a few of his recommendations.
“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.” Philippians 4:8
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” Ephesians 5:19
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16
Remember, that we need to be in complete control of what we are going to allow into our minds, because every sinful action first began, with….
…..Just a Thought
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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