Transforming the Mind

Gents,



"So a man thinks - so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 - NKJV)



" I can't afford to entertain thoughts about myself that not of God " (Bill Johnson - Bethel Church)



" 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. (Romans 12:2)



"Like it or loathe it marketing is part of everyday life. The average Australian is exposed to around 3,000 advertising messages a day and advertisers spend $12 billion a year persuading us to buy stuff we never knew we needed. It's the oxygen of competition. So if you feel like coming up for air or can't get enough of it, you have come to the right place. "
http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/blog/the-pitch



"Want to know how to wear jeans like a fashonista?
"Tired of him finishing first in bed? We're here to help"
"Ask him or lose him"
Cosmopolitan.com.au



"While we know this news leaves a hole in your daily routine of clicking on our features, videos and girl galleries (and if it doesn’t; maybe if you’d partaken a bit more we wouldn’t be shut now), here’s a bunch of other sites we hope will fill the void:
Zoo Weekly
Top Gear
Empire"
fhm.com.au



"Give dad the moments he loves"
news.com.au



Okay Gents, here's a question: If you and I were exposed to messaging across all forms of media and communication, that were from God about his view of you, your life, your family, your work, your future, for a year, what frame of mind and health (across all aspects) would you be in?



For example:



" I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future"



" I have come to save you and not condemn you"



"Forgive others, just as God forgives you"



"For you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms"



"I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers"



"For you can do all things through my Son Jesus who strengthens you"



"For you can overcome all things"



"This is my son, in whom I am well pleased"



"Nothing will separate you from my Love"



I could go on.... and His Words and Thoughts do....



Our thoughts define what our behaviour is about to become. Advertising and marketing strategy understand this all too well and are paid handsomely to influence our thoughts which lead to peoples behaviour towards that product or service.
In many ways, we are held captive by our thoughts, rather than taking these thoughts are making them captive to Jesus Christ






3-6The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Message)



 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)



Let's take pornography for example, heres a excerpt from Encyclopaedia Britannica:

pornography, representation of sexual behaviour in books, pictures, statues, motion pictures, and other media that is intended to cause sexual excitement. The distinction between pornography (illicit and condemned material) and erotica (which is broadly tolerated) is largely subjective and reflects changing community standards.



Now, what's wrong with this explanation?
Satan corrupts the thoughts and arguments, to normalise dysfunction. Better still he corrupts one of the greatest and most precious aspects of a man's life and dresses it up as liberation and freedom much like a fish hook with bait on it and catches us, pulls us out of our normal life and onto a dry land where we are stuck and flapping about, dying with too much of what we had adequately under water.



What is the difference with Porno and Erotica? It's just a "rational" way to justify our addictions.



Better still he crafts messages and a "rational" argument to women to be liberated and free of oppression and to embrace abortions and sexual liberty as a format of "freedom and women's liberation"



(BTW - Freedom is not the ability to do what you want, but rather the ability to chose to do the right thing, otherwise you're a slave to your desires and thoughts, irrespective of the outcome.)



7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4: 7-8



If I am to take captive of every thought that is not of God, so that my actions and life follow, then following Philippians 4:7-8 is a good way to go.

That's what Romans 12 is referring to, The Transforming of the mind.

Gents, don't be like me and lulled into a false sense of normalising dysfunction and having what I call "lazy syndrome" where you have timidity about accepting His Word and His Thoughts as the superior governing authority.  Satan has corrupted man's thoughts (Garden of Eden is where it started....).



7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 - NKJV)