Controlling our Thoughts

Many Christians struggle with this issue, especially in our highly technological world, but taking control of our thoughts is essential. Proverbs 4:23 states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The “heart” includes the mind and all that proceeds from it. Someone said that every sin we commit, we commit twice, once in our thoughts and again when we act upon those thoughts. It is easier to rid our lives of sin if we attack it at this fundamental thought level rather than waiting for it to become rooted in our lives by our actions and then try to pull it out.

There is also a difference between being tempted (a thought entering into the mind) and sinning (dwelling upon an evil thought and wallowing in it). It is important to understand that when a thought enters our mind, we examine it based upon God's Word and determine if we should continue down that path or reject the thought and replace it with another thought. If we have already allowed a habit to form in our thought lives, it becomes more difficult to change the path of our thoughts, even as it is hard to get a car out of a deep rut and onto a new track. Here are some biblical suggestions for taking control of our thoughts and getting rid of wrong thoughts:

1. Be in God's Word so that when a sinful thought enters our mind (a temptation), we will be able to recognize it for what it is and know what course to take. Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4) responded to each of Satan's temptations with Scripture that applied to the direction He knew His mind should take instead of beginning down the path of the sinful thought. When tempted to meet His physical need (turn stone into bread), He recited the passage about the importance of relying upon God. When tempted to serve Satan in order to obtain the glory of the world, He brought up the passage that says we are to serve and worship God alone and speak of the glory that belongs to Him and those who are His. When tempted to test God (to see if God was really there and would keep His promises), Jesus responded with passages that stress the importance of believing God without having to see Him demonstrate His presence.

Quoting Scripture in a time of temptation is not a talisman, but rather serves the purpose of getting our minds onto a biblical track, but we need to know the Word of God AHEAD of time in order to accomplish this. Thus, a daily habit of being in the Word in a meaningful way is essential. If we are aware of a certain area of constant temptation (worry, lust, anger, etc.), we need to study and memorize key passages that deal with those issues. Looking for both what we are to avoid (negative) and how we are to properly respond (positive) to tempting thoughts and situations—before they are upon us—will go a long way to giving us victory over them.

2. Live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, chiefly through seeking His strength through prayer (Matthew 26:41). If we rely upon our own strength, we will fail (Proverbs 28:26;Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:33).

3. We are not to feed our minds with that which will promote sinful thoughts. This is the idea of Proverbs 4:23. We are to guard our hearts—what we allow into them and what we allow them to dwell on. Job 31:1states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman" (NKJV). Romans 13:14 states, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Thus, we are to avoid periodicals, videos, websites, conversations and situations that will set us up for a fall. We should also avoid spending time with those who would encourage us down these wrong paths.

4. We are to pursue hard after God, replacing sinful thoughts with godly pursuits and mindsets. This is the principle of replacement. When tempted to hate someone, we replace those hateful thoughts with godly actions: we do good to them, speak well of them, and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Instead of stealing, we should work hard to earn money so we can look for opportunities to give to others in need (Ephesians 4:28). When tempted to lust after a woman, we turn our gaze, praise God for the way He has made us—male and female—and pray for the woman (for example: "Lord, help this young woman to come to know you if she does not, and to know the joy of walking with you"), then think of her as a sister (1 Timothy 5:2). The Bible often speaks of "putting off" wrong actions and thoughts but then "putting on” godly actions and thoughts (Ephesians 4:22-32). Merely seeking to put off sinful thoughts without replacing those thoughts with godly ones leaves an empty field for Satan to come along and sow his weeds (Matthew 12:43-45).

5. We can use fellowship with other Christians the way God intended. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Fellow Christians who will encourage us in the changes we desire (best if of the same gender), who will pray for and with us, who will ask us in love how we are doing, and who will hold us accountable in avoiding the old ways, are valuable friends indeed.

Last and most important, these methods will be of no value unless we have placed our faith in Christ as Savior from our sin. This is where we absolutely must start! Without this, there can be no victory over sinful thoughts and temptations, and God’s promises for His children are not for us, nor is the Holy Spirit’s power available to us!

God will bless those who seek to honor Him with what matters most to Him: who we are inside and not just what we appear to be to others. May God make Jesus’ description of Nathanael true also of us—a man [or woman] in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).

If You Say So

by James MacDonald

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:9–11, esv).

I’ll never forget being a young pastor and having my first experience of meeting a person who claimed to be a Christian, but who wasn’t actually under the authority of God’s Word.

I sat down with this man one day, along with another pastor from our church, just to talk about some problematic things in his life that were becoming obvious to others. We began to show him the Scriptures, thinking he would see the truth as well as our love for him in being concerned about his life and family. We prayed he’d see that we wanted to help.

And he did. He saw it. He understood what the Word was saying, and he admitted to what he was doing. But “Bible or not,” he said, “I’m not changing.”

I didn’t know anyone would actually say that. I couldn’t imagine it.

But I’ve looked in the mirror plenty of times since then, as I’m inviting you to do today, to challenge myself on whether the Bible is indeed my total, complete authority. Three questions can help us discern the answer to this all-important question.

1. Can the Bible change your mind? Standard procedure is to think we’re pretty good people, able to save ourselves, able to change ourselves. But the Bible says, “All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, nkjv). “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy” (Titus 3:5, esv). It’s no minor theme in Scripture that “whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). It’s cover to cover. The only question is: does this clear line of thinking change your mind about who you really are and the extent of what you can do on your own?

2. Can the Bible melt your heart? You may feel waves of anger sometimes at your boss, a parent, or simply a guy who cut you off in traffic. But when you hear, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31), how quickly and deeply is it able to influence your heart? When you see the unforgiving servant in Jesus’ parable handed over to the jailers and you hear Jesus say, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35), does it change you? Does the truth melt your angry heart?

3. Can the Bible change your direction? Any one of us can get turned around on the road of life. But how many times has your testimony been, “I was living for sin, for self, for sex, for stuff, for success”—whatever it was—“and the Word got through to me and challenged me, changing my direction”? The psalm writer said, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. . . . I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” When you hear a verse that seriously stops you in your tracks, is the next step you take in a different direction from the one you were previously traveling?

I’m not asking if you like the Bible. I’m not asking if you enjoy studying the Bible. I’m asking if you’re under the authority of the Bible.

Can it change your mind?

Can it change your heart?

Can it change your direction?



PRAY

Lord God, Your Word to me is not just information. It’s not just sentimental and soothing and spiritual sounding. Nor is it optional. Keep me under its authority as I keep it daily before me. Continually use it, Lord, to train my mind, tenderize my heart, and teach my feet to stay in the path Your Word directs me to follow. Thank You for the boundaries it draws and the freedom it offers so that I can experience full life in Your kingdom, in Jesus’ name, amen.

None Other

by James MacDonald

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12, esv).

“There are many roads to God.” Have you heard people say that? They say, “As long as you’re sincere, it doesn’t really matter. Every path leads to the same God.”

But have you found this principle at work in any other area of life? Does your experience really tell you that everything is equivalent? Every restaurant, the same? Every coffee choice, all the same? Can every answer to a math problem be considered right? Do all recipes lead to the same quality meal?

What would you say to a young guy who’s ready to buy an engagement ring, but whose plan is just to grab the first one in the case he can afford? “They’re all just rocks. What’s the difference? You’ve seen one rock, you’ve seen them all.”

Or what would you say to someone living in the Midwestern plains who has no interest in ever traveling to see the mountains? “They’re just hills. What’s the difference? We’ve got hills around here. You’ve seen one hill, you’ve seen them all.”

See how silly it sounds to say that? See how dangerous it is to spout the foolish phrase, “All roads lead to God”?

“Enter by the narrow gate;” Jesus said, “for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14, nkjv).

The cross of Jesus is not one of many ways to God; it is the only way to God. In fact, the shocking thing is not that there is only one way to God; the remarkable thing is that there is any path at all!

Do you find that too narrow? Too exclusive? No. Truth by definition is intolerant of error, and is exclusive by nature. How many temperatures does water freeze at? How many answers to 2+2 are correct? Drop a five-pound rock off a building, and see if you can make a solid argument for the relativity of gravity before it hits the ground.

Right?

So why would the study of God—who Himself made math and science and the other disciplines which are “intolerant” toward error—be the only subject known to mankind in which truth does tolerate error?

There is but one road to God. And instead of being resistant to that, we should be forever thankful for it. What could we produce as evidence for why the God who created the world should save us? Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense if He just pushed the whole thing over the cliff and into hell itself?

Instead, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, nkjv). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, nkjv). Only Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Here He is. Follow Him into the narrow gate, for He alone is the Way.

PRAY

Lord, on this day between Jesus’ death and resurrection, fill me with wonder at what You’ve done. You’ve made a way where we don’t deserve one. Help me to not take lightly Your grace and mercy that have opened this one path for me to be forgiven and reborn and to have promised abundant life with You for all eternity. I worship You today in the stillness of this moment, in the mournful hours after the death of Your Son, praying only in His name—my only Way—amen.

There Must Be Blood

by James MacDonald The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, esv)! People often say, “I’m good enough for heaven. I don’t need Jesus.” As if they can choose heaven without choosing faith. As if they’d fit right in there, just showing up, claiming they don’t need a Savior. But that’s not what heaven is like. That’s not what heaven is for. Heaven is no place for people who are pretty sure they’ve got their sins covered without needing anyone else to do it for them. Heaven is for people who understand and embrace Jesus Christ as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” for which there is no other “good enough” option. If you’re not sure where this “Lamb” imagery comes from, think back to the first Passover. God was preparing to send the tenth and final plague against the Egyptians to loosen the iron grip on God’s people, so Pharaoh would release them from slavery and let them go. In anticipation of this plague, the Lord instructed each family of Israel to take a lamb, kill it, and sprinkle some of its blood on their doorposts. “For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.” But “the blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12–13). You and I, of course, living in our culture, where we buy our meat at the market, would likely have balked at just the part about killing the lamb. In fact, “these things took place as examples for us” (1 Corinthians 10:6a)—as a picture for us today. But even they, who were accustomed to slaughtering their own animals for food, may have had a hard time seeing any need for slathering its blood over the door of their house. I’m not doing that, you can almost hear them saying. I’ll have to clean it up later. And what good is it for, anyway? I don’t need blood on my house to save me. Yes, that part did take a bit of faith. But God gave them an opportunity to choose. Doubt or faith? Good enough without the blood? Or were they in need of the blood, the way His Word said? Was the blood of the lamb—“without blemish” (Exodus 12:5)—really necessary? Decide. Far more than we’d like to admit, faith is a choice. You choose to believe in the sports teams you follow. You choose to believe your employer will compensate you for your work. You choose to believe the gas in your tank will get you to your destination, and you choose to believe the chair you’re about to sit in will hold you. You choose to believe. And if you don’t believe, you’ve chosen not to believe. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The One who knows our true heart and knows our true thoughts—who knows the good front we put up and knows we believe ourselves to be better than we are—has provided a Lamb whose blood can fit us for heaven. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Your faith belongs in the Lamb. And then you’ll belong with Him forever.

Days of Atonement

by James MacDonald

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21, nasb). Not everyone believes what I hope you believe (what the Bible actually says) about the reason Jesus Christ had to die. Some believe, for example, that God didn’t require a payment for sinners—that He forgives people simply because He chooses to do so, without resolution of any kind. But if that’s true, what was Jesus doing on the cross? Believing this view doesn’t make God more gracious; it makes Him cruel in the extreme. Others believe that the death of Christ merely served as an example. They say the cross shows us how much God loves us. But this view fails to take into account numerous Bible passages that say Jesus “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4, esv), how “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3), that He “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Here’s the truth: Christ took our place and suffered our punishment for sin. He became our substitute. That’s where the term substitutionary atonement comes from. His death was the legal act whereby He fulfilled the demands of God’s holy law and paid the penalty for sin. He became “sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Even in the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied, “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Be sure you know the word atonement. The death of Jesus Christ atoned for sin, made payment for it. If the gospel were a dartboard, the word atonement would be the bull’s-eye. Throughout this Passion Week, as you read and are reminded of the suffering Jesus underwent, atonement is what you see happening every step of the way. The flogging, the mocking, the blasphemous taunting. The twisting of the crown of thorns, piercing into His scalp. A scratchy robe laid across His open, throbbing wounds. His face, eyes, and mouth, swollen and disfigured. And so much blood—spilled, splattered, shed. This is Jesus Christ, atoning. He would complete it on the cross, but it didn’t begin on the cross. The atonement didn’t somehow start with the nailing. For example, Isaiah 53 describes Christ’s scourge as part of His atonement when it says that “by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5b, nkjv). All of it is the atoning work of Jesus. It is the wrath of God poured out upon His Son to satisfy the inherent demands of holiness. Someone had to pay. A holy God could not casually dismiss sin with a wave of His hand and the presentation of a hall pass. Holiness demanded that sin must be paid for. What you see then, in Christ’s suffering and death, is Love finding a way to pay for sin Himself. The closer your journey leads you to the cross this week, try to avoid detours that would induce you to think of Jesus merely as your example. Don’t be distracted by signs that point to ways following Christ improves your life. Walk as though you’re moving deeper into a funnel, drawing nearer and narrower, until all you see is “Jesus, my Substitute,” taking upon Himself the demands of holiness so that you can be forgiven. PRAY Lord, what kind of worship is appropriate for such total atonement? “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:12–13, esv). I will come to You amazed at what Your Son Jesus has done for me. I will surrender my all to You for as long as I live. I will praise You every day for the gift of grace and the sacrifice of Christ, in the name of Jesus, my Substitute, amen.

Down Syndrome Blessings

Isn't it ironic that we can pass laws to protect sea turtle eggs (They are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 and Florida's Marine Turtle Protection Act (379.2431, Florida Statutes). Florida Statutes (F.A.C.) but laws now being passed to protect our down syndrome babies are being challenged?

Commentary: Babies with Down syndrome have a right to life

Iceland and Denmark are eliminating people with Down syndrome before they can be born.

BY MARC THIESSENTHE WASHINGTON POST


When Karen Gaffney’s mother found out she would be born with Down syndrome, the doctor said Karen probably would not be able to tie her own shoes. Instead, as Karen explained in a moving and eloquent TEDx talk, she has become an accomplished open-water swimmer who has crossed the English Channel in a relay race and completed the swimming leg of the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.

Now she fears the result of a new race – the one to “find newer, faster ways” to screen for Down syndrome so that more children with the disability can be killed in the womb.


Her fears are well-founded. CBS News recently reported that Iceland was on the verge of “eliminating” Down syndrome. Unfortunately, there was no great medical breakthrough to report. Iceland, it turns out, is not eliminating Down syndrome; it is eliminating people with Down syndrome. The country’s abortion rate for Down syndrome babies is close to 100 percent – the highest in the world. Denmark is close behind at 98 percent. In the United States, it is 67 percent – and Karen fears the rates here will soon reach European levels.

“Save our lives!” she pleads.

Sadly, there will always be those who see people with Down syndrome as nothing more than a burden on society. Princeton University professor Robert George recently tweeted out a shocking video in which a bureaucrat from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health shows a man with Down syndrome on a blackboard how “expensive” he is for society compared to “normal” people. “Do the Dutch, who suffered under – and in many cases heroically resisted – Hitler’s domination, forget that the ‘final solution’ began with the dehumanization and eugenic killing of the handicapped?” George asked.

Today, more and more people with Down syndrome are speaking out and demanding recognition of their humanity. Recently, Frank Stephens appeared before the House Appropriations Committee, where he told members of Congress “I am a man with Down syndrome and my life is worth living.” Noting the abortion rates for Down syndrome babies in Europe, he declared “I completely understand that the people pushing this particular ‘final solution’ are saying that people like me should not exist,” but pleaded, “Let’s be America, not Iceland or Denmark. … Let’s pursue inclusion, not termination.”

The message of inclusion is slowly getting through. Last month, baby food maker Gerber named Lucas Warren – a boy with Down syndrome – its 2018 “Gerber Spokesbaby,” selecting him out of 140,000 entries for his “glowing and giggly smile.” Good for Gerber. His smile glowing should be no surprise. Rather than leading lives of suffering, a 2011 study by Harvard researchers found that people with Down syndrome have unusually high rates of happiness. An amazing 99 percent said they are happy with their lives, 97 percent like who they are, and 96 percent like how they look. “Overall, the overwhelming majority of people with Down syndrome surveyed indicate they live happy and fulfilling lives,” the researchers found.

Far from being a burden, a study from Boston Children’s Hospital found that children with Down syndrome bring enormous joy to their loved ones. Ninety-four percent of siblings expressed feelings of pride about their brother or sister with Down syndrome, and 88 percent said that they were better people because of them. Only 4 percent would trade their sibling in for another, and only 4 percent of parents regretted having their Down syndrome child. It turns out that “the experience of Down syndrome is a positive one for most parents, siblings and people with Down syndrome themselves.”

Lawmakers are taking notice. As The Washington Post reports this week, more states are passing laws prohibiting doctors from performing abortions because of a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis. Indiana, North Dakota, Louisiana and Ohio have passed such laws, with Ohio’s “Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act” scheduled to take effect later this month. Utah is currently debating a similar law. The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, says it is “Utah’s message to the world is that we will not tolerate discrimination.” Naturally, pro-abortion absolutists are suing to block these laws (successfully, in the case of Indiana).

It is simply intolerable that so many joyous lives are being snuffed out. “All lives are a gift from God,” Gaffney says. “To me, that means that all lives matter, even if you will be born with an extra chromosome.”

— The Washington Post

by James MacDonald

Holy, Holy, Holy


And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3, ESV)!

On God’s Top Ten list, the very first rule, the commandment that earns the #1 spot, states who He is. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2–3).

The Church has lost this high and exalted view of God. We’ve grown so cozy with God that we forget who He really is. We have embraced the comfort of His nearness and ignored His holiness. We have emphasized the security of His love at the expense of His transcendence. God is not “the man upstairs.” He’s not a mild, old codger with a white beard. God dwells in unapproachable light. The Bible teaches that no one can see God and live. He is high and lifted up. He is ineffable glory.

We need a right view of God. One of the clearest pictures in all of Scripture is found in Isaiah 6. God gave Isaiah a glimpse, just a glimpse, of who He is, and the prophet fell flat on his face. That singular experience marked Isaiah’s whole life, and his vision is one we desperately need today.

Do you want to know what God is really like? God is infinite holiness—immeasurable, unalterable, unfathomable holiness. Isaiah wrote, “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1). Seated. Not pacing back and forth. Not wringing His hands. Not struggling or searching. He was seated, settled, secure, certain. Why? Because He is in absolute control.

And standing above the seated God are the seraphim who serve Him. Picture two lines of angels, one on either side of the King, calling back and forth in an unceasing, antiphonal chorus. Think of all the words they could say about God. They could call out, “Merciful, merciful, merciful God!” or “Loving, loving, loving God!” But the words God chose to be spoken about Him, in His presence, for all time, are of His holiness. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Through countless eons of time and even at this exact moment, the angels are calling out God’s holiness.

When the Hebrew people want to emphasize a word, they repeat it. If someone fell into a pit, that would be one thing, but if it were a deep pit, they would call it a “pit pit.” Nowhere else in all of Scripture is an attribute repeated three times. Only this and only of God: He is “holy, holy, holy.”

And the smoke rose quickly to veil Isaiah’s vision lest he be consumed in an instant by the moral worthiness, by the utter terror, by the majestic purity and power, by the unsearchable, unspeakable, infinite holiness of the triune God.

For when we grasp who God is, as the first commandment tells us to do, we see something else clearly too: our sinfulness. God’s infinite holiness casts our dirty sinfulness into stark relief. You cannot gaze upon the holiness of God without being overcome. Isaiah was broken by this. “Woe is me!” he cried. “For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (6:5)! The phrase means literally, “I’m dead. Done for. Silenced. Bankrupt. Ruined.” Before the holiness of Almighty God, we realize how unclean we are.

How tragic if the story ended there. But once Isaiah saw God for who He really is, the poor prophet was primed for mercy. “Then,” begins verse 6, a little transition word full of hope. Then one of the seraphim flew to Isaiah, lifted a burning coal to his lips, and purged him of sin. We are only prepared to receive and comprehend the grace of God when we have understood His infinite holiness and our filthy sinfulness. Any presentation of the gospel that leaves that out is incomplete. It’s the holiness of God that casts us upon His mercy. Only when we have a right view of the holy God do we begin to see clearly.


JOURNAL
Examine your own theology (your thoughts about God). In what ways do you treat God too casually? How does Isaiah’s vision change your view of God?
In your own words, what’s the connection between seeing God’s holiness and being primed to receive His mercy? 

PRAY
Almighty God, You are holy, holy, holy. Forgive me for my casual attitude toward You. Forgive me for reveling in Your abundant grace and ignoring Your holiness. Help me, Lord, to see You rightly. You are the Lord, and You have no rivals. Just as You reign on the throne of heaven, would You also reign in my heart and life? And as I glimpse Your holiness, I see my own spiritual bankruptcy. Please purge my sin, through the mercy You offer through Your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray, amen.