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Higher Things The Lord is saying – “Focus on Me.” Don’t ignore your life, but acknowledge Him in all your ways. Colossians 3:1-2 (KJV) “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” FOCUS – It’s not easy. Your mind enhances what you think about. FOCUS on Him and He will be enlarged in your mind and life. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV) “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Eternal things won’t change. We need stability. If we dwell on the eternal things when worry seeks to overtake us, God’s promise is to lift us up and encourage us. Psalm 94:19 (KJV) “In the multitude of my (anxious) thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” I Cor. 15:58 tells us “Be ye steadfast.” Our faith will be firm and steadfast, immovable if we dwell on Him. What is single-mindedness? “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” Don’t waver between opinions. Yes, you may have to find what is right; until then you won’t know. But sloppy agape lets us believe anything without the consequences. Isaiah 50:7 (KJV) “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” A flint is used to start fires – because of the friction. Since the tongue sets on fire the course of our nature we need to know what is yes and what is no. The Lord wants to set us on fire. Those who need the deliverance of the Lord and whose minds are like mush, don’t know what is truth or how to be set free. This whole earth is in for a baptism of fire. It will either set free or destroy. We are told in Hebrews that Moses kept His focus continually on the Lord – not flinching but enduring steadfastly to the end - gazing on Him who is invisible (Heb.11:27 AMP). If we truly will take Canaan, we must continually do this. Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” What is the condition for peace? “A stayed mind” It means to take hold of your imagination. We must resist temptation. How? By keeping His Word alive in us – leaning every step on Him with hope and confidence in Him. Psalm 25:15 (KJV) “My eyes are always on the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” Or “so I can continue to walk free from the snares of life.” Now I know we all don’t hear the Lord in the same way. But Revelation 3:12 tells us the Lord is standing at the door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and will sup (feast) with you. James 5:9 (KJV) “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” Grudge means grumble. The same Lord that wants you to hear Him is standing at the door to judge you. This means He is closer to us than we think. There are a lot of traps to keep us from listening to the Lord – especially if we are being tested and tried and things are really ugly. But the admonition is “Don’t grumble – listen to the Lord.” Keep asking the Lord to speak to you throughout every situation, every circumstance, over and over and over again throughout the day. The Lord wants us to hear so we can dine on His body and blood. The next verse in Revelation says if we overcome we can sit with Him. How do we overcome? Listen then sit. If we are to sit with Him in heavenly places we must be listening – He is at the door ready to judge. We must learn to listen as often as necessary – minute by minute, hour by hour - because we are being bombarded with information to fill our minds and imaginations so there is no room to hear Him. It won’t always be an audible voice, sometimes it is your spouse, your pastor, your boss. The Spirit will send people to keep you in line. Don’t listen to the exceptions that say “It isn’t necessary to do what the Bible says to do – you have rights.” Don’t listen to the voices of flattery. If you aren’t being flattered – PTL – you are living a godly life. The maturing sheep know the voice of their beloved. The lambs don’t have that kind of discernment so we must be ready to help them discern truth from error. Don’t listen to voices that get you caught up in the past or make you wait to deal with the future. God deals with the NOW. “What are you saying to me NOW, Lord?” God controls the future, it will take care of itself. Set your mind on higher things. (1 Cor. 2:16) If you have a sinful nature ruling you, then your mind will be set on the natural things. But those who live by the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile toward God. It does not submit to the laws of God (Rom. 8:5-8). If we continue to live according to the sinful mind, we are dying a slow spiritual death. If our mind is controlled by the Spirit of God, we dwell in life and peace. Revelation 20:4 (KJV) “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” You don’t have to worry about your checkbook, your social security number, and your credit cards. This is the only way to be safe from the mark of the beast – to set aside your sinful mind and maintain the Spirit of God in all things – the higher things of life. Because our minds are continually under assault we must practice continually looking to the Lord for His mind. “What are You saying to me right now, Jesus.” Let’s stop and ask Him – “What are Your thoughts toward me?” As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. If you think being led by the Spirit is easy and safe you haven’t been very successful. With the million voices trying for our attention, it is difficult to keep aware of the will of Christ for our life moment by moment. From lust to money, to education and technology – all seemingly innocent – but they are to rob us of our attention to Him while they urge us toward business as usual! Our young people are especially vulnerable. Thank God He had not come back, for we have failed our children. We have been too interested in pleasure, lust, money, and comfort. The true church is composed of the young people and children. Our job as adults is to provide the background and experience, pay for the support of the church and hold our children high before the Lord. Those who are doing this see remarkable spiritual growth. But if we are not doing this, then our children are in great trouble. If children are not a vital part of worship in the church then they are neglecting their salvation and parents need to fall on their face and cry out for mercy. Psalm 8:2 (NIV) “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of our enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” You want your home to have joy and peace, then get your children into worship and praise in the church. It is not what your children want that matters, but what you give them. James tells us wherever there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. We must give them higher things – things of an eternal nature. Ezekiel 14:4 (KJV) “Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;” When we have anything in our hearts above the Lord, when we are not right spiritually, we are in no condition to hear from the Lord. God will answer us according to our idolatry. Would God tell us what we want to hear even if it wasn’t His will? He did to Balaam. We must wait on God’s will no matter what. God alone must be the passion of our life. Until He is we will have a problem hearing His voice clearly! Ask Him, “What are Your thoughts toward me? What are You saying to me right now?” -Pr. Steve October Newsletter 2002 | Higher Things | Living Worship Pastor's Journal October 2001 | Judas | Destined to Become part 1 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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