Remember the three Chinese monkeys? Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil? I'm going to add two more: THINK no evil, and DO no evil.
You'll see where I'm going with this in a minute. The Bible says in:
Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Why am I saying this? Because as believers it it IMPERATIVE for us to "screen out" what be be described as "interference" in our lives. Where is the interference coming from? Why, old Split Hoof himself!
As a believer in Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have become an enemy to Satan. If he could, he would slaughter you on the spot, but, God had given you a Guardian Angel to protect and prevent him from doing just that! You'll see your Guardian Angel when you go home to Glory, because he has to carry you to heaven. So, since Satan can't kill you that way, he constantly harasses you, like water dripping on rock!
Satan is not omnipresent like God, so he doesn't know your thoughts. So, he uses his demons ( which are in rank and file like the military ) to "study" you. In order to find out your weaknesses, and take advantage of them with his guerilla warfare tactics. If this sounds like warfare, yes, it most certainly is!
The most attacked area in Christian Warfare is the mind. The mind is constantly at work, thinking and having conversations within itself. Even when you are asleep the sub-conscience mind is "always" alert and "on patrol". This is the reason a mother can be dead asleep and hear the cry of her newborn baby and immediately awaken. . . . . .
This is also the reason why some people have chronic insomnia. The sub-conscience mind is so worked up, or overwhelmed with thoughts and worries, it will not allow the body to sleep. . . . . . .
99.99% of the time this mental activity is NEGATIVE which is prohibitive to our Christian walk. We can't trust God if we are headstrong and stubborn. Neither can we trust God if we are subjective, worried and frightened.
Of course, when our mind becomes a "cement mixer" like this, it affects our physical health. We suffer from stress related diseases: Depression, insomnia, nervous breakdowns, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, etc.
Not only do we suffer physically, but the Kingdom of God suffers too. Why? Because you are physically sidelined with illness, therefore your vessel ( your body - which is now the Temple of The Holy Spirit ) cannot be used for the Glory of God! Of course the Kingdom of Darkness is ecstatic, because that is one less saint on the battlefield!
I must quote two sayings which apply:
1. The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
2. It's all in your mind.
In both cases the answer is yes. Yes, we waste our own minds by the way we think, and the distorted, un-godly, concepts we CLING to. Yes, it truly IS all in your mind. All the undisciplined mind needs is one thought, and it's off on a tangent.
Ex: As a woman, have you ever been told "Oh my goodness! You've gained weight!"? If so, haven't you spent the next three days ( or more ) thinking those same words over in your mind? Trying to figure out where. Hips, thighs, face?
Now you are looking into diets and thinking about going to the gym more, even though THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU! Your mind literally took those words and was off the starting blocks like Usaine Bolt ( Olympic Sprinter )! Now the cement mixer is working overtime! All from a few words!
I've got an example for you guys, too! Someone steps to you and tells you that they can see a couple of "grey hair". Next thing you know, you're at your neighborhood drugstore buying hair dye, or you are seriously contemplating what a lot of my male co-workers have done. Shave it ALL OFF!
Have you ever considered that you may look handsome WITH the grey hair?
God does not want His children running from pillar to post like this! The world does that because they HAVE NO DIRECTION for their lives. But WE HAVE THE WORD OF GOD AS OUR DIRECTION FOR EVERY AREA OF OUR LIFE! YES, EVERY AREA!
That's why He admonishes us to "Forsake not to assemble yourselves . . ." In other words: Attend church regularly, for worship services, bible classes, raps, and fellowship with the saints of God. It is especially important to hear the word of God taught and preached.
Why? Because like a baby needs to learn how to stand and walk, then run, you MUST be taught a NEW frame of reference to think in. Why? Because the old one ( which is from the Satanically motivated world system ) is killing you!
God wants you fit and ready to represent Him in the Highways and Byways. Whether it is in your neighborhood, Nebraska, Maine, California, Belize, or in Ghana West Africa God wants you prepared to serve. Not flat on your back, in an intensive care ward, or in a mental institution, or zoned out on prescription drugs.
I'm not saying God will not put you in a Job-like situation in order to manifest His Kingdom, even with cancer, etc. God wants His children to be as healthy as possible in order that He may use us. The first step to personal health is right thinking.
Right Thinking comes from screening out not only what you think, but what you receive. Often, what you think is closely related to what you hear or see. The mind automatically takes what it receives through the Eye Gate and Ear Gate and mulls it over. Hence, the cement mixer.
You can't have fellowship with God and His saints if your mind is receiving and clinging to wicked reports. Believers have no business GOSSIPING! That is no longer a part of our lifestyle! We were bought out of the Slave Market of Sin by Christ's Precious Blood, to bring others into the Kingdom, not yakk around the water cooler ( figuratively speaking of course ). We ( who are a Chosen Generation ) now love what God loves ( fellowship, prayer, hearing the word of God, worship ) and hate what God hates ( sin - which is separation from God ).
If someone comes you with an evil report, SHUT THEM DOWN, because you are responsible for what you receive. Take in the wrong thing and you have POISONED THE WATER of your fellowship with GOD! Lose anything else in life, but don't lose your fellowship with God! Why? Then you are left out in the world all alone with no one to protect you. Fellowship with God is your COVERING! So you must be proactive in protecting and CLINGING to it! PASSIVITY IS NOT AN OPTION!
When someone does come to you with an evil report/gossip remember these three things:
1. As my pastor says often "When a person gossips to you, they are VOMITING on you!" And no one in their right mind wants to be puked upon!
2. Immediately, go into prayer and ask God what to say or do with the person, as they are speaking. God may lead you to be silent and just walk away. He may also use you to give the person a sharp rebuke, in love. In either case you are letting the person know that they can no longer use you as a toilet to barf into.
3. This goes for on your secular job as well as within the Body Of Christ. Always remember there are Christians of all stages of growth within Christ's body. Some may be immature and don't know. Others may be mature and hard hearted. Either way, they must be treated with extra care and love. Allow God to use your vessel to deal with them if they come to you. Use the encounter as a burden of prayer for the person after.
As for yourself. When negative thoughts pop into your mind, DO NOT entertain them. Immediately say, "This is not my thought(s), I send them back from where they came." This is just a basic formula, but in your personal relationship and walk with Christ, you will soon develop your own. But, it takes practice of being still and bowed down before Him. This is essential as the air we breathe!
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, spritual wickedness in high places.. . . . . ."
