"Father, give us wisdom through the power of your Holy Spirit. Illuminate our hearts and
minds that we may behold the wondrous things out of thy law. Lord, cause our lives to
change, your purpose to unfold as we willingly submit to your ways through obedience."
Hello and welcome! If you're joining us for the very first time we want you to know that you are an answer to our prayers. You are not here by mistake but through divine appointment. We encourage you to grow in grace by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In our study this week we see how change is a continual process that begins with the renewing our minds. It is necessary for reaching our God given destiny. If you are not changing, you're not growing. When we change we cease from operating in the works of the flesh and begin recognizing those unseemingly mindsets to fully consecrate our lives to the Lord.
II Timothy 3:16-17
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
The act of consecrating is to answer God's call to spiritual consecration. This means making a conscious, willing decision to dedicate your soul, mind, heart, and body to God. This involves dying out to the flesh, fully surrendering your own personal wants and desires and coming under the knowledge of God by aligning your will and emotions unto his authority.
II Corinthians 10:3-5
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. 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."
And the way we do that is the moment the enemy puts a negative thought or hurtful memory into our mind quote a scripture to block his attack. We are not to engage in his trap. Yet, many times we all have fallen prey to his devices and his goal ultimately, is to have us destroy our own lives. We are instructed to cast down imaginations and every high thing to the pulling down of strong holds and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. In essence we are to filter out all the bad, unclean thoughts as they produce habits and habits form our character. And before you realize it, it's become a way of life. The fuller picture is how Satan's desires is to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. So, he is fully examining each one of us thoroughly, in hopes to isolate that which is most important and useful. He is a coward as he strikes at your weakest point when you are down, discouraged and unable to fight back. In a state of your brokenness when you have given up and laid down your will he walks around like a
roaring lion looking back and forth seeing who he may devour. He isn't a lion but tries to come at us appearing to be fierce and dangerous. He uses deception as a tool to make magnify himself to be bigger than God. In all reality he is a counterfeit.
Job 2:2
"And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
I Peter 5:8
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour."
Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
John 3:17
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
You change by understanding and conviction through the Holy Spirit not condemnation. By locating these stumbling blocks in your life and taking ownership of negative behavioral patterns, you can break the recurring cycle of bondage and be totally and radically transformed by the power of God.
Isaiah 61:1-3
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."
Although it might appear difficult and yet uncomfortable it will bring healing and restoration inside your life. The flesh will rise as you decide to come higher and bring your flesh under submission but you have the power and authority to overcome. The more you feed something the bigger it gets and likewise to the human nature of man.
The importance of guarding your mind is to be vigilant and alert against, "Every evil thought and high imagination." As you make up your mind to serve the Lord, it's the assignment of the enemy to make himself known. He will try to shoot those fiery darts of disobedience contrary to the word of God. Satan's aim is to ultimately, turn your hearts by pulling you away from God. Therefore casting a seed of doubt, which will produce defeat and take root creating a domino effect as the things you think about eventually become your habits bringing destruction.
These thoughts which spring forth will oppose the divine will of God as the enemy will
consistently, attempt to destroy us.
Matthew 6:24
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Mammon: Wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion.
Mammon in the New Testament is commonly thought to mean money, material wealth, or any entity that promises wealth, and is associated with the greedy pursuit of gain. Mammon in Hebrew means money.
How do we prevail? By understanding, "What governs and affects our thought life." Thoughts are governed and affected by what we observe, who we associate with, our environment and teachings we received. All negative patterns form our past creates hurts, habits and hang-up's. We left our mind and hearts unguarded and allowed Satan to creep inside our thought realm.
Many people seem to have it all together outwardly, but inside they are a mess. Their pasts have broken, crushed and wounded them inwardly. God desires to heal you of your past. It's time to flip the script, send the enemy packing, embrace the goodness of God as you are a child of the most high.
Romans 3:23-26
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
The goodness of God leads us to repentance because of all the condemnation that we are under, which can leave us so utterly convicted and shut our mouths before God as we reach a point of complete spiritual bankruptcy recognizing our hopelessness before God. So, we realize God is so good as he leads us to experience his faithfulness.
The book of James also likens our tongue to the rudder on a ship. A rudder is a control surface used to steer a ship, boat or submarine that moves through water. The tongue is a powerful tool as it steers the pathway of life. Words spoken by your mouth determine the direction just like the rudder of a ship sets the course a ship will go. If you don't like where your life is headed, set the rudder in a different direction.
James 3:4
"Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth."
Lets look at God's intent and His purpose. How does he view it and what does he have to say, about his thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-11
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
God's instructions from the book of Romans Chapter twelve:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,
with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly
beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
Fruits of the Spirit | Works of the Flesh
Love |Hate, Resentment, Bitterness
Joy | Sadness, Depression, Sorrow
Peace | Nervousness, Anxiety, Restlessness, Torment
Patience | Impatience, Frustration
Kindness | Selfishness, Cruelty
Goodness | Moral Impurities of All kinds
Faithfulness | Lying, Adulteries, Sorceries
Gentleness | Strife, Anger, Rage
Self-Control | Selfishness, Addictions, Compulsions
God isn't going to ask you about your neighbor's sin on judgement day. Sometimes people cannot stomach the truth but it's learning about yourself. If you see areas on this list just be honest with yourself and ask the Lord to help you with these struggles in your life and he will.
In His Grip,
Pastor Wendy Schenkel
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