Captivating What You Contemplate

Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Prepare your minds for action by being completely sober, steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert and aware. Fix your hope completely on the grace of God that has come upon you through the revelation of Jesus the Christ.

Live as obedient children of God by not being conformed to the evil desires which governed you before you were transformed by the power of God through salvation in Christ alone. So like the Holy One who called you out of this world to be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage is Holy, you also be holy in thought, in word, and in deed.

There are the words amplified by me from 1 Peter 1:13-16.

Taking every thought captive before the Lord is necessary to achieve personal holiness in our walk with the Lord. Let's take three verses:
"Be ye holy for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." 1 Timothy 4:7
and "Be ye filled with the Holy Spirit." Ephesians 5:18.
unlike the wild horse that has no halter, no boundaries, no fences, and no gates, we do. God has built a hedge around us for our protection. Unfortunately, like a horse, we can break free and have a moment of unbridled freedom. We do so at our own peril. Like a freed beast that can trample gardens, cut itself, get trapped, get in the road, and do great damage to its surroundings and itself, we can as well by our loosened minds, tongues, hands and feet. I implore you to be intentional about limiting these breakouts more and more as you grow in your walk.

I do not recall using two words Sunday: Discipline and Intentional. You will never achieve the goal of taming your thoughts without their implementation.

The concept of holiness is defined as having the inner strength to be set apart for service to God. When I read "Be ye holy," "Be ye filled," and "Discipline yourself." I understand that I have an obligation and responsibility. As I concluded Sunday, I stated that God will but I have to want it to the point of getting out of the way so He can. I don't want to hinder His work in my life.

The reason for this post is to be practical. I simply ask you this: Do you want all of Him? Are you fully invested in receiving the fullness of God in your life? If so, God's Word and God's Spirit are armed to do battle for you but they won't go it alone. You can't just be willing to be set apart. You have to be spiritually alert and have the moral courage to take action against the world, the flesh, the Devil, and all his demonic forces that are bent on destroying you. My new friend I used Sunday as an example said, "Preacher, the reason I listen to the Bible on a loop all night is Satan never sleeps. He is working against us while we do." Amen and amen! Everything about you trying to be more Christlike enrages the world, your old nature, and Satan. The greatest weapon against you is your mind. If they can get at you through your thoughts, they have got you. Thus, we must must must recognize their plays and stop them at port of entry. What would your walk with God look like if you employed these tactics:

"Oh, Lord, that is a beautiful woman or a handsome man, but you have not given them to me and I am so grateful for me spouse that You have given to me. Please give me eyes for them alone. Take this passion I have and help me inject it into my marriage that our relationship would remain strong." You see, the problem with "just looking" is that it seldom ends there. Pornography addictions and affairs start with unbridled lust. Filthy thoughts come naturally to not just young men. Children and women have them as well. Check these thoughts or you will do irreparable harm.

"Oh, Lord, I know these are false thoughts that I am having about myself. I know you have made me and I am no better or worse than anyone else in Your eyes." Satan plants seeds. You, right here, must know yourself. Is the "accuser of the brethren" causing you to have a suspicious mind? Are you jealous, envious, greedy or bitter? Do you struggle with pride and arrogance or perhaps a low self-esteem and a poor self image? If any of these apply, the moment they do you must claim victory over it in Christ and refuse to let it blossom. A person may well age out of lust but our self image stays with us until death. Precious few struggle not.

Fearful thoughts are gripping the hearts of countless souls today. What If removes God from His throne and replaces Him with a much less omipowerful resource - namely you, sometimes parents, spouse, children, a pastor even. Instead of trusting God, we put ourselves in the hands of the practical and physical. I've actually heard people say, "I know, but God's not here." In other words, I am going to trust in what I can feel, hear, see, smell and touch. What If will wear you out and wear you down. It removes hope and replaces it with fear. When panic strikes, stop and pray, "Oh, Lord, I know You can and will if I will just let You. You have already been where I am going. Worry and fear are not mine. My husband, wife, Pastor Todd, or Donald Trump cannot solve this, but You can. I give this to You and claim victory over my fear."

All these thoughts and so many more want to exalt themselves over Christ and the knowledge you possess about your God. You can't let your thoughts prevail. Weeks ago I spoke about the heart deceiving you. Well, let me assure you, your unchecked thoughts will ruin you.

What word or deed does not begin with a thought? Weed out the bad and fuel the good. Be disciplined, be intentional. You are a (beast - a horse, a sheep) free agent but you are not wild any longer, you are to live in the perimeters (fence) of the Spirit-filled life outlined in Holy Scripture.

Victory is possible. Read, study, pray, but one word I leave you with is acknowledge. You must acknowledge the power of your thoughts and deal with them accordingly. FYI, I wrote this at 4 in the morning. I woke up and couldn't turn my mind off. It is true, our thoughts never stop running.


In Christ,
Pastor Todd