Mind Filling Meditation

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious -- the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse...Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Philippians 3:8-9 The Message

Just a few weeks ago I was reminded of these powerful words that Paul shared with some people he dearly loved. I've felt particularly bombarded for awhile now with my mind taking me in all sorts of directions. Seems like just about anytime I read or watch something in an effort and desire to keep informed, the result is cynicism, doubt, suspicion, fear, anger or a combination of several or all of these. Fully realizing that none of these results is chronicled anywhere as being fruit yielded from walking intimately with the Creator of the Universe and me, I asked Him a simple question: What's up with all of this?

Almost immediately I was reminded of the verse in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that commands believers in Jesus to take captive every thought. This prompted another question: So what should I be thinking? And this is when the above insights and instructions from Paul dropped in.

I've been asking God to show me these things that are true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious, the best, the beautiful, things to praise. And He's obliged. Two nights ago I awoke thinking about a certain situation that irked me. True Father reminded me that I was in charge of my mind....to take every thought captive. This time it was my turn to say yes.

Immediately Hawaii popped into my consciousness. I traveled to the islands in my minds eye. My thoughts allowed me to bask in the fresh and clean Pacific breezes, experience the beauty and scent of a simple white plumeria flower, taste amazingly sweet papaya and more.

Admittedly, these are baby steps against the assaults that our culture, my habits, and the wily one has been wreaking on my mind. But they're steps in the right direction! Just last night after getting in bed for the night, I remembered that we had a full moon. I got up, went outside, and feasted on the beauty.

Upon returning to bed I found myself no longer sleepy...wide awake. I picked up Leanne Payne's book, The Healing Presence, from my bedside table and found the page I'd left off reading a week or so ago. And this is the 4th paragraph I read:

"As St. Gregory the Great has said: "If you do not delight in higher things, you most certainly will delight in lower things." This is true of a society, a nation, a world, as well as each and every individual.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Philippians 4:8

We have a way of becoming (in a sense) what we set our eyes upon. The imagery really matters." (p. #140)

As I smiled and turned out the light I had a sure sense that the amazing God I've chosen to follow winked with a grin........at me.

The Devil Made Me Do It

Okay, I know. I'm dating myself by going way back to the early 1970's. But I loved Flip Wilson's comedy and his character Geraldine. The devil made me do it is a line that Geraldine made famous. Back in the day, just about everyone knew and used this expression. If you're up for a good laugh, click on the title or quote above and check out the YouTube video I've linked.

Just this week I was reminded of Geraldine's famous line, but not in a comedic sense. During the summer of 1976 when my wife and I worked together as camp directors, I had my first encounter with evil supernaturalism (demons & foul spirits). I was a fairly new Christian and this kind of stuff was not really a part of my everyday theology. For sure, I had never seen evil spirit beings manifest. But this particular day they plainly showed up and showed off through a young boy and everyone around saw it firsthand. It was a wild time! Ever since, I've been interested in and drawn to learn about the spirit world from the perspective of a believer in Jesus Christ.

I have found Dr. Ed Murphy's book The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare to be one of the best detailed treatises for this subject. And in a future blog I will share two things that have proven amazingly powerful for me that I got from this book. Suffice for this discussion to say that Murphy teaches that those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ and have willingly surrendered ourselves to Jesus, are positionally above all dark principalities and powers which are actually and totally subject to us in the name of Jesus.

Interestingly though, some Christians I've encountered who are keenly enlightened as to spiritual warfare and the workings of evil supernaturalism, deny their Christian birthright. They do so when they blame their bad behavior on "the warfare."

Over time, I've come to think that this sort of behavior is in truth a kind of spiritual narcissism. These individuals have fallen so in love with their organization, its message, their calling that they exhibit little empathy and regard for others. When their behavior falls short in their actions toward others, it's explained away or condoned as "the warfare."

God through His Word is very clear about such things. He says we'll know them by their actions (behavior/fruit). And Paul the Apostle tells us what that fruit is in the New Testament passage from Galatians 5:22-23 where he says, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Over the years much of the fruit of my actions has been rotten to the core. I have not always treated those in my sphere of influence according to Jesus' example. It is vital that we forgive ourselves and others for our bad behavior. It is, however, not healthy for individuals or groups to accept, justify, and condone actions by fellows that are contrary to the "fruit of the spirit." In fact, doing so is a slippery slope toward marginalization and insignificance.

Author Leanne Payne in her book The Healing Presence talks about healing of the will. She says that "as we make our will one with His, we free Him to gather up those valid parts of ourselves from which we are alienated, estranged." Ms. Payne then gives a prayer to model: "I pray, Lord, for the release and strengthening of my will...that part of me...with which I initiate change, choose life, and...forsake the bent, idolatrous position of attempting to find my identity in the creature...."

Our True Father does not want us making excuses for our sin and failure. The devil did NOT make us do it! God created us with a will, free to choose our course. He wants us to choose Him, to run to Him, to invite Him into our wills to heal and strengthen and restore us fully and completely. And then He wants us to bear fruit....to act like we are who He made us and says we are....His sons and daughters.

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Bird and Fortune - Subprime Crisis

This is absolutely brilliant! Watch it, laugh, and be seriously edumacated....