College & Young Adults at Cathedral of Faith with Pastor Ray Menchaca
GUARDING OUR MINDS
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your minds and hearts."
How do we guard our minds? Through bringing things to God.
Job 28:28 tells us the place of wisdom and the place of understanding.
"The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."
in answer to the question in verses 12 and 20
Discerning
Wisdom
Understanding
We are commanded to guard our hearts and minds.
Though both are in part a fertile ground in which choices are made and direction given, I want to focus this week on the mind since many have expressed thoughts of late of people over analyzing or the desire to not think to much.
So what about this interesting organ where we process information and desire?
The brain is surrounded by auditory and visual gates with one exit-the mouth which brings forth what has gone into our heart. ("Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks")
God calls us in Dueteronomy 6:1
"...God has commanded to teach you,
that
you may OBSERVE them
in the land which you are crossing over to possess
that
you may fear the Lord your God
to keep all His statutes and His commandments."
Fearing the Lord as a reference also found in Job as the place of wisdom.
Duet 6:8
"You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."
Granted, some Jews still observe the physical outward demonstration of this. However, the repeated importance of meditating on God's Word with our minds is clear.
2 Tim 1:7
"For God has not given us a SPIRIT OF fear
but of power and of love
and of
a
SOUND MIND."
So what is the difference between a spirit of fear and the fear of God?
A spirit of fear paralyzes, petrifies us from being who God made us to be.
How do we know who we are?
Good question
In the US Army its important to know yourself and your comrades in your company should they need medical attention or knowing their strengths in combat to be a more efficient and effective team.
In animation class this week, a clip was shown of animals and how they react to reflection of themselves. Very few species actually recognize the relfection as themselves (self recognition). A lot of them merely pawed at the reflection in bafflement or attacked it, thinking it a threat.
Some people sometimes fear to delve in too deep in questioning their faith. As a result we end up with too many fallen soldiers or people who just give up working out their salvation with fear and trembling.
The armor in Ephesians We have to take up.
Many christians and (non christians) stop thinking about spiritual warfare as a reality because it frightens them. Hamlet says, "There are more thing in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are dreampt of in our philosophy."
These days we see more evil than good in the media whether it be a neighborhood murder/drive by, war, or the latest horror movie. People are more familiar with evil and its power in the spiritual realm than aquanted with the fear of the Lord, wisdom, the beauty of His Holiness.
Unholy fear attacks the mind
So does
Doubt--Luke 12:29
Wickedness--Prov 21:27
Carnality--Rom 8:7
Pride--Dan 5:20
Foolishness--Prov 29:11
THe enemy attacked in Eden by approaching first with doubt of what God said and its context.
"When she saw that the fruit was.."
what?
"...Pleasant to the eyes..."
For what?
"...to make one wise..."
So, what should our minds be?
Our minds should be full of life.
What is it to be spiritually minded, as in Romans 8:27?
To be
ready--Acts 17:11
humble--Acts 20:19
fervant--2Corinth 7:7
sound--2Tim 1:7
Hebrews 8:10
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts."
Sounds a lot like Dueteronomy 6:8, huh?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Wisdom has a starting place but is also a journey. (Col 4:5)
Solomon also defined it as a defense (Ecc7:17)
Guard our hearts and minds.
HOW?
How do we remain sound?
How do we know what wisdom is?
What does it look like?
James 3:17
"But wisdom that is from ABOVE is first
1. pure
then
2. peaceable
3. gentle
4. willing to yield
5. full of mercy
6. and good fruits
7. without partiality
8. and without hypocrisy
Wisdom, in proverbs is illustrated as "calling alound outside, raising her voice in the open squares" to us.
James 1:5
"If any of you LACKS wisdom, LET HIM ASK OF GOD, who GIVES to all LIBERALLY and WITHOUT REPROACH, and it WILL be given to him."
He wants our minds to grow in knowing Him. He wants a relationship with us.
Colossians 1:9
"For this reason also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will
in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding."
Proverbs 24: 3-4
"Through wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established, by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
Three things
1. Wisdom builds
2. Understanding Establishes
3. Knowledge fills
SO OFTEN WE TRY TO BUILD BUT DONT GET ESTABLISHED IN THAT WHICH WE BUILD.
HE wants us to go beyond just doing, just building.
He wants us to get established in Him
To get something requires someone else giving to you.
He's offering here.
He wants more even than just establishing us.
He wants to FILL our residence with riches. His riches of knowing His will. His way. AMAZING when you think about it!!!!:)
So, a house is built by wisdom
Knowlege establishes.
How?
Prov 9:10
"And Knowledge of the Holy One IS understanding."
Colossians 3:10
"Put on the new man who is RENEWED IN knowledge."
So getting to know Him more and more to find Him depthless is the answer to how.
And putting on our new self, dying to our flesh, mememe mindset/heart condition each day.
The world today states that knowledge is power as if it is the stopping point you can rest secure in,
but the
BIBLE says knowledge puffs up.
Illustration--balloons can be puffy, but are empty inside.
So there's widsom
knowlege
and understanding.
Just as we hate being misunderstood, think how God feels when we twist His scripture or how it grieves Him when we go down the wrong path?
Though His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways, (Isaiah 55:8)
He gives an illustration of the beauty of a prudent bride crowned because of her fervant seeking to aquire knowledge (Prov 14:18 and 18:15)
Here are some thougths from Jesus about thinking to think upon in closing :)
Matthew 5:17
Matthew 6:25
Matthew 10:19
Matthew 10:34
Mark 13:11
Luke 12:11
Romans 12:3
Philippians 4:8
Proverbs 24:9
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your minds and hearts."
How do we guard our minds? Through bringing things to God.
Job 28:28 tells us the place of wisdom and the place of understanding.
"The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."
in answer to the question in verses 12 and 20
Discerning
Wisdom
Understanding
We are commanded to guard our hearts and minds.
Though both are in part a fertile ground in which choices are made and direction given, I want to focus this week on the mind since many have expressed thoughts of late of people over analyzing or the desire to not think to much.
So what about this interesting organ where we process information and desire?
The brain is surrounded by auditory and visual gates with one exit-the mouth which brings forth what has gone into our heart. ("Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks")
God calls us in Dueteronomy 6:1
"...God has commanded to teach you,
that
you may OBSERVE them
in the land which you are crossing over to possess
that
you may fear the Lord your God
to keep all His statutes and His commandments."
Fearing the Lord as a reference also found in Job as the place of wisdom.
Duet 6:8
"You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."
Granted, some Jews still observe the physical outward demonstration of this. However, the repeated importance of meditating on God's Word with our minds is clear.
2 Tim 1:7
"For God has not given us a SPIRIT OF fear
but of power and of love
and of
a
SOUND MIND."
So what is the difference between a spirit of fear and the fear of God?
A spirit of fear paralyzes, petrifies us from being who God made us to be.
How do we know who we are?
Good question
In the US Army its important to know yourself and your comrades in your company should they need medical attention or knowing their strengths in combat to be a more efficient and effective team.
In animation class this week, a clip was shown of animals and how they react to reflection of themselves. Very few species actually recognize the relfection as themselves (self recognition). A lot of them merely pawed at the reflection in bafflement or attacked it, thinking it a threat.
Some people sometimes fear to delve in too deep in questioning their faith. As a result we end up with too many fallen soldiers or people who just give up working out their salvation with fear and trembling.
The armor in Ephesians We have to take up.
Many christians and (non christians) stop thinking about spiritual warfare as a reality because it frightens them. Hamlet says, "There are more thing in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are dreampt of in our philosophy."
These days we see more evil than good in the media whether it be a neighborhood murder/drive by, war, or the latest horror movie. People are more familiar with evil and its power in the spiritual realm than aquanted with the fear of the Lord, wisdom, the beauty of His Holiness.
Unholy fear attacks the mind
So does
Doubt--Luke 12:29
Wickedness--Prov 21:27
Carnality--Rom 8:7
Pride--Dan 5:20
Foolishness--Prov 29:11
THe enemy attacked in Eden by approaching first with doubt of what God said and its context.
"When she saw that the fruit was.."
what?
"...Pleasant to the eyes..."
For what?
"...to make one wise..."
So, what should our minds be?
Our minds should be full of life.
What is it to be spiritually minded, as in Romans 8:27?
To be
ready--Acts 17:11
humble--Acts 20:19
fervant--2Corinth 7:7
sound--2Tim 1:7
Hebrews 8:10
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts."
Sounds a lot like Dueteronomy 6:8, huh?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Wisdom has a starting place but is also a journey. (Col 4:5)
Solomon also defined it as a defense (Ecc7:17)
Guard our hearts and minds.
HOW?
How do we remain sound?
How do we know what wisdom is?
What does it look like?
James 3:17
"But wisdom that is from ABOVE is first
1. pure
then
2. peaceable
3. gentle
4. willing to yield
5. full of mercy
6. and good fruits
7. without partiality
8. and without hypocrisy
Wisdom, in proverbs is illustrated as "calling alound outside, raising her voice in the open squares" to us.
James 1:5
"If any of you LACKS wisdom, LET HIM ASK OF GOD, who GIVES to all LIBERALLY and WITHOUT REPROACH, and it WILL be given to him."
He wants our minds to grow in knowing Him. He wants a relationship with us.
Colossians 1:9
"For this reason also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will
in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding."
Proverbs 24: 3-4
"Through wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established, by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
Three things
1. Wisdom builds
2. Understanding Establishes
3. Knowledge fills
SO OFTEN WE TRY TO BUILD BUT DONT GET ESTABLISHED IN THAT WHICH WE BUILD.
HE wants us to go beyond just doing, just building.
He wants us to get established in Him
To get something requires someone else giving to you.
He's offering here.
He wants more even than just establishing us.
He wants to FILL our residence with riches. His riches of knowing His will. His way. AMAZING when you think about it!!!!:)
So, a house is built by wisdom
Knowlege establishes.
How?
Prov 9:10
"And Knowledge of the Holy One IS understanding."
Colossians 3:10
"Put on the new man who is RENEWED IN knowledge."
So getting to know Him more and more to find Him depthless is the answer to how.
And putting on our new self, dying to our flesh, mememe mindset/heart condition each day.
The world today states that knowledge is power as if it is the stopping point you can rest secure in,
but the
BIBLE says knowledge puffs up.
Illustration--balloons can be puffy, but are empty inside.
So there's widsom
knowlege
and understanding.
Just as we hate being misunderstood, think how God feels when we twist His scripture or how it grieves Him when we go down the wrong path?
Though His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways, (Isaiah 55:8)
He gives an illustration of the beauty of a prudent bride crowned because of her fervant seeking to aquire knowledge (Prov 14:18 and 18:15)
Here are some thougths from Jesus about thinking to think upon in closing :)
Matthew 5:17
Matthew 6:25
Matthew 10:19
Matthew 10:34
Mark 13:11
Luke 12:11
Romans 12:3
Philippians 4:8
Proverbs 24:9
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