Mindset For Success

But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. Stay always within the boundaries where God's love can reach and bless you. Wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Try to help those who argue against you. Be merciful to those who doubt. Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren't pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners. - Jude 1:20-23 (Living Bible) Live Purposefully ...build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your streng...

Dearly loved friends, I had been planning to write you some thoughts about the salvation God has given us, but now I find I must write of something else instead, urging you to stoutly defend the truth that God gave once for all to his people to keep without change through the years. I say this because some godless teachers have wormed their way in among you, saying that after we become Christians we can do just as we like without fear of God's punishment. The fate of such people was written long ago, for they have turned against our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. - Jude 1:3-4 (Living Bible) Today, as in Jude's day over 2000 years ago, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is under severe attack. As mentioned in last week's post, many anti-biblical ideologies are surfacing with the intent of silencing Christ-followers and further deceiving those who are not. Satan's plan is to intensify the anti-biblical cultural currents of this world and silence Christ-followers, effectively...

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ. - Colossians 2:8 (Amplified Bible) In last week's post, we were reminded how Abraham, a man of great faith, chose to follow the wisdom of this world to have a child with Hagar rather than waiting on God's timing. From this child's descendants came what we know today as radical Islam, forever in conflict with Israel and the Christian faith. For radical Islam to take root and prosper, it must eradicate true Biblical faith. The primary tactic being used to accomplish that agenda is to silence the Church of Jesus Christ and Christ-followers. Enter critical race theory, black lives matter, and Antifa. These ideologies find their roots in radical Islam, whose aim is to intentionally deceive using the traditions ...

Again, the devil took Him along to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go away, Satan! For it is written: 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" - Matthew 4:8-10 In this, the third temptation of Christ by Satan in the wilderness, Satan was not offering Jesus anything that His Father had not already promised Him. Satan's temptation to Jesus was to get what is rightfully yours NOW, jump ahead of the Father's plan and timing, avoid the cross's pain and suffering and get it NOW. Think about the impact on your life had Jesus let pride and avoidance of pain cause Him to succumb to Satan's lies. There would be no Savior of the World! The consequences of getting what you want NOW as opposed to waiting on God's timing can have significant long-term implications. Conside...

What is hindering me from executing God's will? Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever. - 1 John 2:15-17 (NASB) What is the priority of my life, the one thing around which everything else revolves? Life on this earth takes place amidst two opposing realms that are in constant conflict. One is under the control of this world by Satan, and the other is under God's authority. Satan is the author of deception and confusion and will use the attractions of this world (money, power, pleasure, things, etc.) to keep your focus away from God's will. His only goal is to keep the true Christ-follower distracted with the things of this world to render...

Woe to my rebellious children, says the Lord; you ask advice from everyone but me and decide to do what I don't want you to do. You yoke yourselves with unbelievers, thus piling up your sins. For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says: Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved; in quietness and confidence is your strength; but you'll have none of this. - Isaiah 30:1,15 (Living Bible) Because of the sinful nature we are born with; our default mode is wanting our will, our way, and in our timing. If we ask God for what we want and do not get the answer we want, we tend to figure out how to get it and then convince ourselves it was God's will. We may validate our actions by manipulating the situation to make it work out, or seek "advice" from people who will validate the desire for what we want. This is exactly what the Israelites did when they aligned themselves with Egypt over God. They listened to advisors who told them to turn to the Egypti...

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. - Psalm 37:4-5 (NASB) As a Christ-follower, one who has been justified by faith, our ultimate purpose in this life is to follow Jesus, to have the mind of Christ, and to be conformed to His image. In doing so, we will sensitize our hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit and understand the will of God for our lives. If we chose not to renew our mind and seek the mind of Christ, we will continue to deceive ourselves into thinking our will is God's will. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:2 (NASB) For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son - Romans 8:29a (NASB) When your will is God's will, you will have your will. - Charles Spurgeo...