How Can My thinking start to Change My Life?

Romans 12: 1-3 says, ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’

Renewing our minds means changing our mind set or changing our thought habits.  This concept is so powerful, that just thinking positive thoughts can change your life.  The way you view yourself and life affects how you live life.  I want to use the example of how God view us to show the thought process we must undergo so as to renew our mind.  

When we were born again, how does God sees us? Righteous (among many other things)

Why? Because Christ’s righteousness became ours.  Christ lives in us and we are now righteous.

Do we see ourselves that way?

What do we see instead? Our faults, our past, our weakness.

RENEW YOUR MIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As born again believers, we must embrace ALL of who God is at the very beginning of our walk with Him. (On another note, when we share Him, we must share all of who He is also).  This means that can't say we are Christians, and not embrace God's truth about us.  We MUST renew our minds so that God's truth becomes the truth we live by.

When I was young, my concept of God was this: He loves me, He died for me, He wants me to do right-obey Him. Obeying my parents is obeying God.  Bad or negative attitudes is bad behavior, and is disobedience to God.  Life for me was one of dos & don’ts. I never formed a deep relationship with God. 

A relationship, by the way, is where two or more persons share all or some of who they are with each other.  God desires relationships, He does not want distant obedience. As adults, we believe in God but, ….The list of 'buts' is long and varied.  If we don't see ourselves being born into new life and relationship with God, then we will not see ourselves as He does. 

So, how do we renew our minds (change our minds) to think as Christ does?  Our thinking needs to change so much that we come to the place where our 2^nd birth (being born again) and what we were born into is more natural than our 1^st birth (born as baby) and what we were born into.   Lets look at what we were born into at our first and second births.

2^nd Birth                                                                                                           1^st Birth

-We are righteousness                                                                                    -We are sinners

-We see ourselves as righteous                                                                       -We accept sinful state

-Keep truth in front of us                                                                                -We follow lies

-Our minds get renewed                                                                                 -Our minds stays the same

-Become more Christ like                                                                              -We remain what we believe

Now, when we were born again, there was a shift in the spiritual realm and in our spirits, and Christ righteousness becomes ours. Why then is it so hard to walk according to the truth? Because we are constantly reminded of our weaknesses and our pass.  As Christians we have two choices before us when we are faced with our pass; one is to give into the lies, or confront the lie with the truth.  I will preceed to go through a step by step though process that we more or less go through to do either one.  

The first choice goes more or less like this:

-We know that we are righteous. This is hard to do because the enemy, through our thoughts confronts us with our pass.

- We give into reminder of our past and listen to the lies we usually believe. The enemy does this every day, every moment.

-When we give into the lies, we allow old nature to prevail.  The more we believe or give into lies, the more our old nature prevails.

-This all leads to us becoming distant from God. Remember, if you believe the lie, you are rejecting the truth.

-With persistence in these choices, we will eventually lose access to 2^nd birth blessings. 

OR

We can choose differently as follows:

-We know we are righteous.

-We therefore confront lies and reminder of past with the truth

-This allows our new nature to prevail.

-We then become closer to God

-We enjoy an uninterrupted and stronger flow of 2^nd birth blessings.

WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?

This thought process should be used in embracing all truth.  Yes life knocks us off balance or knocks us down, but we must remember that God knows all and He is not surprised by nothing.

When we are faced with the choice of old nature versus new nature CHOOSE NEW NATURE!  It is way more peaceful!

Christian Life Essentials

I was thinking over the past few days that many of us Christians say we follow and love God, however, the basic or foundamental things that we know about God and our relationship with Him is very limited and sometimes not based on truth.  If you are still struggling with them, and do nothing about it, then you are walking the road of unbelief.  This road leads to death ultimately, and walking it means you are living a lifestyle that is anti-God/Christ.  You are either entertaining thoughts of it or embracing it whole heartedly.
The following list just highlights these fundamental truths.  some you might already know, but my prayer is that it challenges your thinking to find out what is really God's truth:
1. All mankind has sin and are  born sinners. Romans 3:23-‘for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.’
2. Christ, God’s Son/God the Son, came in our form to die for us and testify/show us the truth.-John 3:16 says that God loves us that he sent His Son. In John 18:37, Jesus told Pilate that he came to testify to the truth.
3. The devil and his angels are condemned to eternal death in hell.  Hell is what it will be like fully separated from God-eternal death, fire, fears, sadness, etc. Matthew 25:41b says that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels.
4. God did not condemned mankind to eternal death and hell. –Genesis 3 tells us that God said to Adam, “Curse is the ground because of you…”. Only the serpent was cursed.  When we allow ourselves to be deceived, and refuse to follow the truth, the end result is the same as the one who is condemned to hell.  This is why we need to pursue truth. Note this, saying ‘no’ or ‘wait’ to God is saying ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’ to all that is anti-God. John 3:9&10-‘No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.’ Anti-Christ spirit is rooted in the devil.  Making mistakes while being transformed as children of God is different from sinning.  If you know the truth and ignore it, it is sin.  If we sin, remember the prodigal son.
5. Confession and repentance of sin leads to immediate forgiveness from God and birth into a new life with God.  No longer are we walking dead with a bogus life, but we are alive in every way with God’s abundant life.  1John 1:9
6. Being born again=belonging to Christ=have all His  blessing and promises available to us. 
So, why do Christians suffer over and over needlessly in multiple areas?
1. They don’t know the truth about God, yourself and the world.  How to change this?  Educate yourself! Read the Bible! Read other books that is biblical. Talk to a biblical Christian. NOTE: God is not a quick fix God! Quick fixes do not develop character and God is in the business of molding us to be like Him.  We walk by faith, and there are works of faith. If, for example, you are believing God for financial increase or independence, then stop making foolish financial decisions.  Find out why what you are doing is not working.  If you want better grades, listen to the teacher, read your textbook, study, do your home work.  Along with all that you do, trust God, remembering that ultimately He is sovereign. Do not replace works of faith for faith in Christ.  They go together.
2. Unwillingness to change.  Some Christians are more committed to tradition that is centuries old than God’s truth, and what He is doing now.  God’s truth is applicable to all ages/times.  If an old tradition is not producing the results you want, do something else.  This is where we benefit as Christians, we seek God to guide us.  God knows the future, who better to trust and be guided by.  Example: whether we like it or not, computer, internet, and cell phones are here to stay.   Use it to be more efficient in what you do.  Teachers, Excel is more efficient in calculating grades. I see my husband Google information on fixing vehicles.  As you do this, keep acknowledging God.
3. Allowing shame, fear, low self-esteem, stress, and low self-confidence (to name a few), to keep you from finding out how to change, or how something works, or how to get the better job, or how to attract more sales or income, or how to get better grades, or how to have a better life.  Example: creating new income sources.  Did you know that getting a job or starting your own business is not the only way to make money, or making money work for you?  God created us in His image, we can create things!  Better yet, as Christians, we are redeemed, so it should be more successful for us than any other person.  Many times it is no,t right? Find out why! Ask the questions-ask God to bring what you need to accomplish it. Example: I have been praying for some time now that God increase our income source.  I make sure I tithe and give according to the Spirit’s leading.  I keep in my heart the truth that what I ask God He will grant me, and that I am blessed because I am His.  In the past few months, Krem started what they called money Mondays.  They had people who knows about finances come and share what they know about finances.  Then a few weeks ago, Mr. Lasel Arnold, owner of Belize Dry Cleaners, was on Plustv.  He share with listeners some books that will help with how we viewed money.   This is an answer to prayer.  My life is not one of coincidence.  God is in control, and He allows what happens in my life.  Now we are thinking differently when it comes to being financially stable and independent.  Example:  Tyler Perry-he asked God for him to make enough money so he could take care of his mom, God did so much more. Solomon asked for wisdom, and got so much more. Our works of faith and trust in God goes together.
4. If you don’t know then learn!  Ask people, listen to talk shows, read books, Google!  Have you ever wonder why most people who win the lottery become poor again?  The answer to that question will lead you to financial independence.  To create wealth you must educate yourself on money.  Money wants to work for you, but instead, you work for it.  You are driving money crazy!  Learn a skill.  Learn how to handle money.  Learn what is good to invest in.  Learn what invest means.  Learn what are good study habits.  Learn about yourself.  When you learn something new, share it with others.  Mentor others so they know too.
God bless us not just so we can enjoy it, but so we bless others.
So, my points:
1. Works of faith and trusting God go together
2. Stop complaining and/or  making excuses about where you are and do what you can about it.
3. Educate yourself!
4. Never forget who you are in Christ