IT'S ALL IN YOUR MIND

Your mind holds tremendous creative ability. That's why God gave you an imagination--so that you could create mental pictures, add faith to them and see those pictures manifest in your life.

Once you have an image in your mind of something you want to do or become, nothing can stop that image from coming to pass. Whatever you meditate on will become the blueprint for your reality. Too often, though, Christians suffer from "stinking thinking." They give the devil control of their minds by meditating on thoughts that do not line up with the Word of God. Then they reap the results of the curse because their carnal mindset produces the fruit of the flesh described in Galatians 5:19-21.

To keep the devil from gaining a foothold in your life, you must develop a sound mind that is completely controlled and directed by the Holy Spirit. In other words, you must renew your mind with the Word of God. Romans 12:2 says, "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." When you become born again, your spirit instantly changes; you are recreated in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Yet your mind is not recreated. You must conform your thinking continually and on purpose; it is not an overnight, one-time event. Renewing your mind to God's Word every day is vital. By reading the Scriptures and meditating on them thoroughly, your thinking will be transformed to line up with the mind of Christ. And when you have the mind of Christ, you can do anything!

When you set your mind on the Word of God, you'll also experience soul prosperity and peace (3 John 2). The Bible says that the issues of life flow out of the heart (Proverbs 4:23). The word heart in this scripture actually refers to your soul--your mind, your will and your emotions. If you can control your mind, you can control your destiny. But it will take a quality decision on your part to dedicate your life to changing the way you think.
First Thessalonians 5:23 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is God's will that your mind, will and emotions be whole, with nothing missing or broken. As a Believer, you can receive a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). It is then up to you to enforce and maintain soundness of mind by keeping your thoughts and imaginations in line with God and His Word (Isaiah 26:3).

When your mind is focused and directed by the Word, you will position yourself for success. You'll have wisdom, discernment, insight and the ability to accomplish anything. A renewed, Word-controlled mind guarantees abundance and prosperity in every area of your life. Don't let another day go by without a daily dose of meditation. Set your mind on the Word of God and let it become the focal point of your life and purpose!

by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar

WHEN THE FUTURE SEEM UNCERTAIN

by Rick Warren

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans ... to give you a future and a hope ... You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest." Jeremiah 29:11, 13 (LB)

No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen this year, let alone in the next few weeks. Our best forecasts are just educated guesses.

Change is not only increasing in speed and intensity, but also in unpredictability.
The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future:

Set goals according to God's directionIt's foolish to make plans without first consulting God. He's the only one who DOES know the future - and he's eager to guide you through it.
The Bible says, "We may make our plans, but God has the last word." (Proverbs 16:1) In other words, planning without praying is presumption. Start by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do in 2010?"

Live one day at a time -- While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today!

John Lennon once wrote, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Decide to make the most of each moment this year. Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow - God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time." (Matthew 6:34)
Don't procrtatsinate - DO IT NOW! - "Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1)

Procrastinating is a subtle trap. It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow. You promise yourself that you'll do it "one of these days." But "one of these days" is usually "none of these days."

What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do? When do you intend to start working on it?

THE BATTLE OF THE MIND

Everyone has to fight the battle that goes on in the mind. Our thought life determines where we are in the things of God. When people meditate on what is wrong or the negative side of a situation, they become blinded by the problem and never see the escape available to them. Our Heavenly Father has given us a way to bring forth light, and that is through diligent study and meditation of the Word of God. In Hosea 4:6 God tells us, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

As Christians we are going to have to learn how to apply Bible knowledge to our lives, if we want to win the battles of life. God instructs the Believer on how to control their thought life by utilizing His whole armor. Ephesians 6:10-17 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;"

The Apostle Paul uses armor, the battle dress of the first-century Roman soldier, as a metaphor for God's spiritual armor. Clearly, the military metaphor is intended to show that we are engaged in an active battle. Therefore, Believers must recognize that they are in warfare everyday, and that the battlefield is our minds. The whole armor of God has been provided to help us guard against the enemy of our mind--Satan. Satan's only weapon against us is through the mind. If he can put thoughts, ideas and suggestions in our minds, then he can control our actions. We must come to understand that ignorance of the Word and victory over life's battles are impossible roommates.

If we desire the overcoming life of Jesus then we will need to "take up the whole armor of God." We are not to focus in on only part of the armor to the neglect of the other combat coverings, if we do so we will find ourselves defeated. It is the whole armor-knowledge of the Word of God-that gives us the victory. We need to take each piece of the armor as illustrated by Paul and apply them to our life so that we can benefit from its protection.

Family, it is critical that we acknowledge that the warfare is not against physical forces but against powers that have authority in the spirit realm. Paul not only warns the Believer of a clearly defined demonic structure, but also instructs us to take up the whole armor of God in order to maintain a battle stance against these unseen forces.

Satan's mode of operation has not changed. He continues to use the same mind game that he used on Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1). We are going to have to recognize his deceptive ways and stand against them with the Word of God.

Our battle is clearly spiritual. Satan launches assaults on the mind in order to affect the spiritual aspect of our lives. The mind is like the door through which the enemy has access. If Satan can influence our thoughts, he can control every aspect of our lives. Therefore, we must examine every thought that comes to our minds. Are they the fiery darts, the evil day and or the wiles of the devil? Every thought has either a life or death component attached to it. Once a thought is allowed to have access in our lives, it begins its subtle work.

This is the reason God tells us in Romans 12:1-2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

by Frederick K.C. Price

THE GREATEST GIANT IN THE LAND

If you want to be used—really picked up and significantly utilized—by the living God, you're going to have to fight the giants. If you think that sounds simplistic, you're right. It is simple. But it is also the truth.

Joshua and Caleb were used by God. They didn't squander or waste their lives. They were used, made a difference, contributed, gave more than they took, and, consequently, their lives are remembered and valued to this day. Why?

Because they were willing to fight the giants.

You probably know the story. Joshua and Caleb were part of a 12-man team sent out by Moses to do some advance reconnaissance work in the land of Canaan. The children of Israel had just left behind hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt and were headed to the Promised Land, the land of Canaan. In Numbers 13, God told Moses to pick a leader from each of the 12 tribes to do special ops in Canaan.

The 12 completed the mission and returned to give their report to Moses and the people of Israel. They reported that it was a fabulous land of "milk and honey." They even brought back a cluster of grapes with them—a bunch so heavy it took two men to carry it.

But then they got down to the nitty-gritty. They told Moses and the Israelites that the people in the land were strong, and their cities were fortified and very large. This news evidently created a stir among the people because Caleb had to quiet them before he could say to Moses, "‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it’" (v. 30, NKJV).

Then the men (except for Caleb) who had gone with him to recon the land said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are" (v. 31). These 10 spies are quaking in their boots. All those different people-groups they saw have given them the heebie-jeebies. The battle hasn't even begun, and these guys are already looking for the locker room.
But they hadn't finished with their cowardly report. The King James Version does the best job of capturing the trembling in their hearts and the shaking of their voices:

"But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight" (vv. 31–33).

Did these 10 men go on to be used by God? Did they ever inspire anyone with their example? Did they ever lead men into battle? Were they remembered as men of honor and courage?
Are you kidding me?

These men were scared of the giants in the land. But what type of giants do we face today? Heart attack, loss of job, a wife with cancer, a son in jail, fighting off a foreclosure—those all are legitimate giants.

But what is the greatest giant of all?

I teach a men's study in Dallas on Wednesday evenings, and I recently asked that question of the men: "What is the greatest giant of them all?"

When I asked for verbal feedback, it came fast and furious. The answers ricocheted from every corner of the room:

"Pride!"
"Pornography!"
"Lust!"
"Guilt!"
"Regret!"
"Failure!"
"Betrayal!"

I interrupted the responses and said: "Those are very good answers—very wise answers—but they are all wrong. What else have you got? What is the greatest giant of them all?"

"Selfish ambition!"
"Greed!"
"The love of money!"
"Multiple divorces!"
"Growing up without a father!"
"An ex-wife who degrades you before the children!"
"Failing as a father!"
"Lying!"
"Breaking a trust!"
"Fear!"

I broke in and said: "I want to commend you for those answers. They aren't superficial, and they are gut-level honest. And those are all big giants. But once again they're all wrong. Let me give you the answer. The biggest giant of them all is … God."

And just that quickly, the room of several hundred men grew very quiet. In fact, you could have heard a pin drop as the reality of the answer penetrated the mind of every man in the room.
Every man has fought—and is fighting—giants. And make no mistake, these giants are huge. Sometimes, however, in the process of grappling with these intimidating, overwhelming giants, we forget the greatest giant. God is the greatest of all the giants.

Joshua and Caleb knew that, and that's why they stood up and spoke against the panic of the other 10 spies. In our own history, colonial leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock knew it as well, and that's why they stood and spoke against tyranny in the name of almighty God.
God is the trump card of your life. It doesn't matter what giant you may be facing—booze, porn, guilt, lying, cocaine, failure, invading armies, whatever—God trumps your giant. He will always trump the giants—every single one of them. But we can so quickly forget that He is there.

Taken from Battle Ready by Steve Farrar, copyright 2009 David C. Cook.

WORK IN PROGRESS

by Lisa Crum

A few years ago while I was still newly-employed at my last secular job, I kept hearing my boss refer to the "year-end WIP reports" (I thought he was saying "whip!"), and I didn't have a clue what he was talking about until I saw it in writing. W-I-P. Being new to all those accounting office buzz words, and wanting so to make a good impression, I privately asked a co-worker what WIP stands for. She kindly replied, "work in progress."

OK, I now had what the letters stand for, but I still didn't grasp what the term really means. Next stop--internet dictionary. Hmmm...a piece of work that's not yet finished. How interesting. Self-explanatory, actually.

Unfinished stuff. I can totally relate to that, can't you? My stack tray is full of it, and so is my house! But on a deeper level, let's talk about us. I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, "work in progress" in my prayer time this morning. Not having heard that term in months, I had to just sit and mull it over before getting ready for work.

You and I are God's work in progress. As new Christians, we begin as a rough draft (a really rough draft!). In the course of our lifetimes, God has to do a lot of revising, adding, subtracting, changing our thinking, changing our attitudes, undoing what we've done to ourselves and what other people have spoken over us.

That stack of papers on my desk hasn't got a will; the time it takes for completion is entirely up to me and my willingness to whittle it down. However, with God's work in progress, the "worked on" items--we-- have a free will! For that reason, it takes Him all our lives to work out the "bugs." Sometimes we catch on quickly; other times He has to delete the same things from our mindset over and over.

But He's patient. He envisions the finished product and He's so willing to see us through to the end. As long as it takes, as a matter of fact. If you struggle with frustration over your failures, as I often do, know that God's grace is sufficient. No matter how often you've fallen flat on your face, or "almost but not quite" succeeded in fulfilling your destiny, it's not so late in the game that God can't redeem the time for you.

He's an expert at implementing "Plan B" for all of us who didn't get it right the first (or second, or third!) time. Hop back up onto Father God's worktable today and allow Him to do a new thing in your life. He's got plans for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future...you're His very valuable work in progress.

"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6