MASTERMIND - #2

Mastermind

Training your mind

Things we should think upon!

RECAP - 2 Cor 10:3-5 | Rom 12:2 Last week we looked at the truth that Paul said this. He said that the weapons that we fight with, those of you that are followers of Christ, our weapons are not of this world. They have divine power from heaven to demolish strongholds. What's a stronghold? It's a wrong thought pattern. It's a prisoner based on a lie of deception.

God's power demolishes strongholds. That's why we demolish, we crush, we vanquish, every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and what do we do? We take captive every thought and we make it obedient to Christ.

We're looking at the Apostle Paul, the way he fought and won the battle of the mind inspires me. From a Roman prison, writing from a Roman prison, when he wanted to be in Rome preaching, he was locked up, he wrote this powerful, weighty, encouraging letter to the believers in Philippi and he ends his letter with this word of encouragement. He says, I'm gonna tell you one more thing but what he doesn't say is this. He doesn't say,

I'm so discouraged, will you pray for me?

I'm hurting, things are bad. I never thought this would happen, where is God?

At the end of his letter he says, one more thing. Don't ever forget this. He says…

Philippians 4:8 ESV Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

You cannot have a positive life when you have a negative mind. Your thoughts matter so much. Your thoughts are shaping you. If you cannot control what you think, you will never, ever control what you do.

Why is it that we so often make irrational, unwise and ungodly decisions?

Because we get our gears mix up, “R” with “F”

When i was getting my licenses to drive a bus, i got the gears mixed up. Because in a mini bus the first gear was the Rear and the second gear was the first to move forward…

GYM - i´m going to the GYM - working Out , Pumping some iron, BUT - to truly be healthy, what goes in (body) has to be healthy. Not just what I do with it. The same is true with your mind. To truly have a God-centered healthy mind it's not just about what you do with it but it's also about what you put in it.

Psalm 1:2 ESV

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained Meditate

Most Christians have moved away from meditation because of the non-biblical connotations that other religions have emphasized. However, one of the most famous psalms of the Bible encourages us “to meditate” on God’s law day and night (Ps. 1:2).

Training Your Mind

So what I've been doing is I've been working on focusing my mind and training it toward truth. I do curls for my biceps, I do mental exercises for my brain. It's training my brain toward God's truth.

Joshua 1:8 ESV

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

King David says that in times of distress, trouble, or oppression, he would “think” (hagah) upon the Lord (Ps. 63:6; 77:12; 143:5). The word often refers to internal meditation, but also to verbal utterances or sounds. Hagah therefore can be used in a positive sense as when the psalmist’s tongue speaks of God’s righteousness all day long (Pss. 35:28; 37:30; 71:24), or when the righteous man “utters” (hagah) what is good and wise (Ps. 37:30).

let me just give you the simple definition of meditation, the simple definition of meditation, what is it? It's to engage in mental exercise, it's to focus one's thoughts. Let me give you a couple of Scriptures. Psalm 119:15 it says I meditate.

Meditation: to engage in mental exercise; to focus one´s thoughts.

Psalm 119:15–16 ESV

15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Psalm 143:5 ESV

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.

I'm training my mind to focus on God's truth. Meditating on truth. At the very simplest it's just focus. I wanna focus on what is true because when my mind wanders, it doesn't wander toward the truth, it wanders toward the lies.

You're not good enough, you can never measure up.

Who do you think you are? Why do you bother trying? Your life is hard, nobody understands, you can't go on at this pace, you'll never make it.

No, no no, take every thought captive, make it obedient to Christ. Scientifically speaking I'm creating new neural pathways. Spiritually speaking, I'm letting God's truth renew my mind, I'm not believing the lies, I'm embracing the truth.

Then what I want you to do is identify the truth.

What truth demolishes that stronghold? Name it, write it down.

Write it, think it, confess it until you believe it. Write it, think it, confess it until you believe it. Write it, think it, confess it until you believe it. New neural pathways, the power of God's word renewing your mind so you don't react to the lies that you have held you hostage from the past but you respond with truth that is dwelling within your brain.

Write it, think it, confess it believe it.

Prayer - Father I pray that your truth would set us free. God help us to focus our minds, to meditate on you, your power, your goodness, your kingdom, your glory, your truth, your word. God call it what you want. New pathways are renewing our mind God. Help us not react with a lie. But God help us respond because your truth dwells within us, we pray for a victory. God we pray for renewed minds.

I've written some declarations for you. This is truth from God's word, if you are in Christ this is for you.

I want you to feel it, I want you to receive it. I want you to think it, confess it and believe it

You're strong and mighty in Christ.

You have the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwelling within you.

You are a weapon of righteousness in a dark world.

You are not your past. You are not what you did. You are not what they think you are.

You are who God says you are. And my God says you're forgiven.

He says you're redeemed, he says you are free.

You are not a hostage to your unhealthy thoughts.

The weapons that you fight with are not the weapons of this world. They have the power to demolish strongholds.

You have the mind of Christ directing your thoughts.

You have the word of God guiding your steps.

Worry is not your master. You trust in God, his peace guards your heart,

guards your minds and guards your souls, in Christ Jesus.

You have not been given a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.

The Lord is your helper. You will not be afraid.

You are not a slave to your habits. You are not a prisoner to an addiction. You've been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God's light.

You are empowered, you are called, you are chosen, you are the masterpiece of God created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do.

Your God will bless you abundantly. So that in all things, at all times, having all that you need you can bring him glory. Your God is for you, your God is with you.

No weapon formed against you will prosper. Nothing church, can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Not angels, not demons, not the present nor the past not any weapon will separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Step into the truth, you are who God says you are.

The battle rages but you have won the war. The battle rages but you have won the war.

The battle rages but you have won the war.

Lift your hands, lift your voices, declare the truth and walk in it.

TALK IT OVER!

Israel talked about getting mental wires crossed and doing the opposite of what we should do. How does this play out for you?

What are some truths from this week's message or from God's Word that would help you uncross the wires?

Okay, now take action. Write the truth, think it, repeat it, say it, meditate on it until you believe it!

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