Mind Maintenance

Ephesians 4:23 (Amplified), "And be CONSTANTLY renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.]"

Because of a situation I experienced this week, I have been meditating on a truth that was stated by Joyce Meyer in our Battlefield of the Mind books: "Right thinking comes before right actions. Right actions are a 'fruit' of right thinking." In other words, what you start thinking about on a regular basis is what you will end up doing.

The devil is sneaky. His ways are predictable, but must be guarded against with vigilant caution. You might be living a life pleasing to the Lord, walking in holiness, spending time in the Word and prayer, and doing everything right that you know to do as a Christian. And then comes the thought..."There's that person who offended you-don't say hello to them." OR..."You've been tithing, but you haven't really seen any increase in your life." OR..."That person is better looking and treats you nicer than your spouse." OR..."God doesn't really care about you personally. You're not important." These thoughts come in a variety of forms, and are meant to plant seeds of doubt. If you choose to think on them, they will lead to unbelief, and eventually, to sin.

When these thoughts come, we must make an IMMEDIATE choice to replace them with the Word of God. Second Corinthians 10:5 says, "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." It should be obvious to the Christian that the enemy of our souls desires to cause us to fall out of fellowship with our heavenly Father, and we should not be ignorant of the devices that he uses. Sin and bondage of all kinds always start first in the mental realm. When we refuse to take these God-contrary thoughts into ourselves, and instead replace them with heavenly thoughts, we are, in a sense, scoring points for the Kingdom, and damaging the forces of darkness.

Last night I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, "This time that you are living in is a time to be accurate. There is no room for playing around with disobedience or unbelief." We have much work to get accomplished before we are caught away in the Rapture. Not only that, but we live in a dangerous time as well-a time in which we MUST be actively led by the Holy Spirit. Unbelief and sin hinder our ability to hear God's voice.

I thank God for the Holy Spirit Who helped us to walk victoriously! I pray that you too are purposing to maintain a Christ-like mind and to grow strong in the ways of God. One day when the rewards are passed out in Heaven, you'll be glad you did!

Love and blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

Made New By The Blood

Dear church family,

I want to share some thoughts for you to meditate on this week of Easter. This is a foretaste of some of the things I will be sharing this Sunday.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new". You and I have been made new by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior). Verse 21 of 2 Corinthians 5 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him". E.W. Kenyon gives this definition of righteousness, "the ability to stand in the presence of Father God without the sense of guilt or inferiority". He goes on to say the it is "the nature of the Father imparted to us". You and I, as believers, will never get any more righteous than we are right now. Death itself will not even make us more righteous--glory to God! We have been given much because of the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 9:12 says, "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption". The Bible is referring to what Jesus did for us in Hebrews 2:10 when it says, "bringing many sons to glory". In Romans 8:29 Paul referred to Jesus as "the firstborn among many brethren". Verse 30 in the amplified says "...raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being". That's talking about you and I. Hebrews 12:10 says that we have been made "partakers of His holiness".

Friends, we have a lot to be thankful for. Let's go out and tell the world about Jesus. Bring two or three people to church with you this Sunday if you can and let them hear the good news of the gospel. God bless.

Pastor Jeff