Change Your Mind

“Change Your Mind”
by Kathy

Babies and brains are delicate, easy to harm. Some of us had loving parents who were o so careful. Some of us did not. Many bear invisible wounds from childhood.

Life is hard. One child, lame, struggles and falls, alone. Another, sturdier, is supported by loving hands all around.

It’s not fair. Not as the world sees things.

Yet faith leads us to believe God is building our souls. By adversity or by blessings.

It is hard to understand with our natural mind. Only the “mind of Christ” can accept it. And scripture tells us we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:16)

Then why do we have so many problems with our “minds”? Depression, anxiety, addiction, ADD, OCD, o my. Labels abound, fixes elude. Only God has medicine powerful enough.

It helped me to understand that the BRAIN is part of the BODY, but the “mind” is part of our SOUL. Big difference. Can’t always change the brain, any more than you can change blue eyes or crooked bones. But you can have the “mind of Christ” by choosing to agree with the Word, thinking like God thinks.

I sometimes joke that I have the “mind of Christ” and the brain of Frankenstein. Can’t always overcome the neurochemical glitches. But learning, implanting, speaking, and thinking God’s truth enables me to serve Him with joy anyway, live above the circumstances that almost crippled me. And, sometimes, amazingly, even gets down to the physical brain and heals it. Silent little miracles of faith.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… Romans 12:2
Since scripture tells us to renew our minds, it is plain that God Himself thinks it is possible. Just like invisible GERMS can cause colds and flu, our invisible thoughts can cause all sorts of havoc in our souls. These “cooties” of wrong thinking, thoughts that are contrary to God’s truth, make us prey to all sorts of chemical havoc in the brain as well. But God has provided healing in His Word.
He sent His word and healed them… Psalm 107:20

Long after our broken brains are dust, our souls will retain the fruit of our efforts to plant and use these bits of scripture. God’s truth becomes part of our eternal vocabulary of worship and praise. We will be glad forever.

And we can start now.

Streams In The Desert

Grace is like water in the desert, it brings life.

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (NASB)

Since God is relating to people on Earth according to grace, (He’;s rainin’ it on ’em right now) it seems to me a good idea that I should, too. . .relate more, that way, to people. Only, well, its just not my style. So, its rather difficult, and I forget, a lot, to do it. . .you see.

What does “according to grace” mean, anyhow?

I must mean something like, “in agreement with grace.”  So I really do see that if God is thinking grace, it would be a good idea for me to think it also. I know something of what God thinks about my wife. He thinks that she is a precious soul. He thinks that all the time. Sure, He does. That’s very graceful of Him.  I might try–sure, I might–well, I don’t want to crawl out on a limb about this, so I’ll move along to the next paragraph.

Hebrews 13:9 (NASB) Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited.

Varied and strange teachings carry me away? Hmmm!? How does that work, I wonder? I’m not so easy to carry off, not much chance of it. That’s not our Texas way to do nor to talk. Those strange teachings better not try that on me! Huh!

I like that next part though–that “good for the heart” part–strengthed by grace–amen! I need to think on what “heart” might mean–and also what “strengthen” might mean–and “grace,” too. Lots of words, here. The strange teachings carry me away from something, maybe the good teachings carry me toward something.

So, what kind of teachings carry me toward, or forward? Grace teachings? What’s a grace teaching?

A stream in a desert–my desert heart? Man oh man–my lawn could sure use a stream of water right now. A good rain would be sooo graceful. How about it, Lord? I know what–I’ll think on rain!

Body, Soul and Spirit

There are only two verses in the New Testament that mention all three aspects of humankind:

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thess 5:23 (ESV)

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb 4:12 (ESV)

As you can see, the word “body” does not appear in Heb. 4:12, but the phrase “joints and marrow” allude to the human body, I think.

There are at least two schools of thought about the human make-up, that we are three-part (tri-chotomous), or we are two-part (di-chotomous). (It sounds like an African animal, or perhaps a sinus condition.)

Dr. Charles Solomon’s “Wheel” Diagram #1

The Greek word for “spirit” is pneuma, and for “soul” the word is psuche, and for “body” the word is soma. None of this is conclusive proof that man is “di” or “tri,” but I am pretty much settled with the tri-chotomous, or tri-unity, the term that Dr. Solomon preferred when he first published the Wheel diagrams.

Well, so what?

Understanding Truth, and thinking Truth is what sets us free from a former way of thinking.

Next posting I’ll try to get into the functions of the pneuma aspect of our makeup.

The Main Thing

In learning to think in agreement with God its important to remember what is that thing at the top of God’s agenda. Knowing this top thing is an essential element in understanding why God does what He does; and to knowing how to get in on what He’s doing.

The main thing is the building-up of the church, the bride of Christ–that is, souls saved and souls discipled.

We live in the the time of history of this event. It started 2000 years ago. It will perhaps be completed quite soon.

What does this mean to you? A lot! Not Much. Pretty important. Nothing really. Confusion.

What are the things in your life that mean more to you than the building-up of the church?

For me, the church is most important. I can say that. I can choose that. I can think a-long with God for a string of moments, a short string, but then I forget. I get distracted. A man wrote a book about it. He entitled the book, “The Tyranny of the Urgent.” His point was that there is a plethora of mundane life events that powerfully demand our attention–like the ringing of a telephone. I get distracted and often stay distracted for too long a time.Oh, woe. You are different, I know. Good!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words – true or false ?

“On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand–”

This is an artist’s view if the Jordan River as it nears its demise in the Dead Sea. The trees along bankside are thinning out in number and size. The grass and bushes have given way to Summer’s heat. The water slowly carries along its load of mineral-salts and silted soil, and will soon dump it into the ever-hungry chasms of the Great Rift.

It is said that Jesus was baptized by John “where there was much water.” Perhaps it was here. Can you hear the voice of John, as he cries out, “Behold the Lamb of God–Who takes away the sin of the world.”

Perhaps pictures and words together give us a deeper Truth than either one alone.

“–and Cast A Wishful Eye.”

Do you know the old hymn? It has been a message of hope for believers down through twenty centuries.

Do you have Spiritual paintings in your home? Paintings with a message of hope?

More- As A Man Thinks

“As A Man Thinks” (continued #3)

by Ran Butler Stovall

The Bible has somewhat to say about “living by faith,” and “walking by faith.”

I think about it. I think, “Am I doing this–or these?”

And I think, what does “thinking” have to do with “living.” Or with “walking?”

I also think, what does “faith” have to do with “living” or “walking?”

Well, I’m sure that– I’m not sure!

But it seems to me that sometimes I think “faith” thoughts, and sometimes I don’t.  It also seems to me that a “faith” thought is thinking that is in agreement with God’s thoughts.  Perhaps this “faith thinking” is the secret to the “living” and “walking.”

“Hey, God. I deserve a vacation,”  is not,  a faith-thought.  (I might need a vacation, but I’m sure that  God knows that I don’t deserve one.)

“Dear God, I’m so irritable these last few days. Perhaps I need a vacation. You are the Provider of all my needs. Show me Your will, I pray.”

That sounds more like the mind of Christ.

In Proverbs 23:7 (NASB) I read a little something about myself: —for as Ran thinks within himself, so he is (some slight paraphrasing included).

I need to be more careful about what I think.

As A Man Thinks (continued)

As A Man Thinks (continued #2)

by Ran Butler Stovall

I’ll think-out-loud for a minute.

There is a lot of negative evaluation going on–including my own.

There is a good amount of positive evaluation, too–including my own, at times.

There is thankfully, much Truth evaluation going on–yes, me too, at times.

Personally, my initial evaluations are too often negative (greased lightening fast)–less often positive–rarely Truth.

My re-evaluations (30 seconds after awareness. or 30 minutes after, or 30 hours after) come after I have thought things out a little.  Usually the negative slides to positive, or even climbs the hill up to Truth. My emotions follow along,  rather half-heartedly, and my behaviors follow the changing emotions.

The Lord Jesus admonished His disciples; “If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine, and you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” [John 8:31-32,  New American Standard Translation]

Free from something?

Free to something?

What do you think?

As A Man Thinks

As A Man Thinks

by Ran Butler Stovall

This message is about the importance of learning to “think-a-long” with God. Perhaps you remember the diagram that I use sometimes in a counseling session of a man with a hole in the top of his head–the hole where stimulating information enters the brain. Healthy brains all work the same way, in stages: 1.-2.-3.-4. . . . awareness, evaluation, emotion, behavior.

Let’s say that it is Monday morning, 10:30 AM. and circumstance #832 comes at you. Your brain in stage 1. registers “awareness.”  Up to now there is no reaction of emotions or behavior because there has been no activity in stage 2., evaluation.

Your initial evaluation comes lightening fast, automatically, up from the depths of the “conscious” and “sub-conscious” memory banks of the mind, up from the “belief system.”  This “out of the blue” evaluation will be either positive or negative, depending on what is in your “belief system.”  (Other biological factors can influence the brain’s degree of “sharpness, such as illness, menstrual cycle, age, etc.)

Initial evaluation might be safe or dangerous, valuable or worthless, beautiful or ugly, right or wrong, fair or unfair. Generally speaking, negative evaluation will give impetus to negative emotions, or positive evaluation to positive emotions (stage 3.).

Emotions give impetus to stage 4.–very early stage “behaviors” or signals that trigger preparation in the large motor muscle groups, in the digestive track, in the respiratory system, etc.,  to get ready to”run or fight.”  This is the commonly understood “stress.”

Good stress is good because the situation calls for running or fighting. Bad stress is bad because running or fighting is not appropriate response to the situation, but your body gets ready anyway. Too much stress can scramble your brain.

It is not a good idea to let early childhood (irrational) learning guide the way you evaluate your adult life (circumstances, relationships, beliefs), but please be aware of how very enduring and powerful childhood learning is, and so, how very difficult it is to successfully divorce it and follow after a better “Belief System.”

Having said that, I am reminded of how grateful I am that my Lord Jesus has made it possible for me to see my problem, and to see His solution, and to take up the life-long task of “renewing my mind,”  and perhaps helping others along the same pathway, that of recognizing the benefits to mankind of learning to think like God thinks, to think in agreement with God’s Truth.

Writing like this is hard to do. It is so important to find the wording and sentencing that creates accuracy and clarity. I don’t know that I have achieved both those so vital things for this subject. I hope this “blog” is of some help to you, today.

I hope you have a good day, in the Lord Jesus.

P.S. The little diagram is a modification of  Dr. Albert Ellis’ publication on “Rational Emotive Therapy.”  The good doctor leaves off the “Truth” part. He sees only the choices, negative and positive.

A Little Poem for The King of Love

A thousand and a thousand years ago,

the King of Love came down.

His thousand and thousands acts of love

bought Him His crown, His crown

of thorns, magnificent thorns.

(by ran stovall)