Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:7
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Author Archives: BenFaulkner
Psalm 2:11
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Psalm 31:14
But I trusted in Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
Are You Talking to Yourself?
Many of us find ourselves talking to ourselves during the day. Don’t worry! It’s common! It’s typical! And, it’s considered to be normal (whatever normal is these days). The key is knowing what to talk to yourself about.
The Apostle Paul actually told the Brethren in Ephesus to talk to themselves, and he also told them what to say.
Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
There are other Scriptures that give us insight about what is to be on our minds when we are speaking to ourselves as well as when we are speaking to others.
Basically, the Bible shows us that there are “words” or “thoughts” for every occasion. We find a good example of this in the book of James.
James tells us what we are to be doing when we are “afflicted.” We are told to pray…talk to God. Of course, this makes sense. When we are feeling afflicted, God has all the answers. He provides the comfort, the deliverance, the salvation, the forgiveness, the healing, and whatever else we may need.
James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted: let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.
Notice, that God also tells us what we can do when we feel merry. God says to sing psalms. And, this makes perfect spiritual sense, because singing is a wonderful way to strengthen a good mood or an attitude. Singing is a beautiful way to interact with our heavenly Father and rejoice in His presence.
God wants His Word in us…richly and with all wisdom so we can teach and admonish one another and sing to our Lord with grace in our hearts.
No matter how diligent and careful we try to be with our words, what we keep in our hearts will eventually find its way out of our mouths.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Matthew 12:34(b) for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
So, if we talk to ourselves about the things of God, in due time we will be speaking about the things of God to others so they can also be blessed. It’s all part of God’s plan for us!
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Let’s keep talking to ourselves! About the things of God!
Proverbs 30:32
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
Psalm 29:1
Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.
What Is the Mind of Christ?
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of God in Philippi about the mind that was in Christ, he directed them to allow that same mind to be in them.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
It seems Paul knew what the mind in Christ was like. Further, it appears that Paul knew true believers could also have that same mind in them.
How is that possible? How does one receive the same mind that was in Christ? What does the mind of Christ look like, anyway?
From the context of Philippians, we find that humility and self-sacrifice were hallmarks of Christ’s mind. And, it was a mind that was in perfect harmony with God. Notice that Jesus was “obedient” to God when He gave Himself for mankind.
Philippians 2:3-8 (3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
All honest humans must surely realize that this is a very special kind of mind! This mind is the very mind of God, our Father. This mind sees things very differently from the average human mind. In fact, in Isaiah 55:8 God tells us that His thoughts are not as our thoughts.
This mind comes to believers by the Holy Spirit of God. And, the Spirit of God is given to those who obey what they know God expects of them.
Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost [SPIRIT], whom God hath given to them that obey him.
The Apostle Paul referred to the Holy Spirit which gives believers the mind of Christ as a TREASURE in earthen vessels. It is to be highly prized. Nothing else can compare to this GIFT from God and to the changes that come about when a person yields to God in joyful hope and faith.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The mind of Christ is a treasure worth knowing about, diligently seeking and cherishing both now and forever.
Matthew 27:11
And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.