Tag: Philippians 4:8

Think Funnel

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

funnel

Just suppose for a moment that the Creator had a grand plan for how humans would acquire spiritual knowledge of His existence, and of His desire to be in personal relationship with each human being on earth…

Somebody (Adam/Eve) messed that up for us, when they couldn’t just do the one simple thing the Creator said they must do.  The resulting consequence was that while the Creator would still work to reveal Himself and His grace to mankind, now it would happen outside the ideal conditions that would have made it so easy.  Don’t think “garden” here… think “obedience.”

Now consider that along the way, through the hundreds of years of disobedience by the human race, that the disobedience took humanity so far away from knowing God, that there was really only one thing God could do to remedy this horrible situation.  God determined He would come Himself (Jesus) and do whatever was necessary to restore the relationship between Himself and humanity.

What one man messed up for all of us, One Man/God restored completely, for ALL OF US.
Romans 5:19 – For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

When an individual person today, believes in this plan, and that Jesus came to be the Savior of humanity, God’s own Holy Spirit comes to reside within them, and teach them what God always intended them to know about Him.  Here’s where it gets a little tricky.  Because our minds today don’t work the way Adam’s mind did in perfection before the disobedience.  In the act of disobedience the original mental/spiritual connection between God and mankind was dissolved, this being just one of the ways that Adam died, even as God had told Adam he would.

However, when we come to Jesus in faith, and we are “in” Him in salvation, God’s Holy Spirit begins to re-establish this mental/spiritual connection with us.  The problem is, our minds have grown so dark, so crowded with our own petty lives, that there isn’t room enough for God to give us all He wants to give us, all at one time.  So what is it that allows for God to pour Himself back into us?  Obedience.

The apostle Paul says that we should take every single thought in our brains and hold it captive to the obedience of Jesus.  (2 Corinthians 10:5)  By doing this, we make room for God to pour more of Himself into our lives, which is what Paul meant by saying, “For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 2:16

To have the mind of Christ, think funnel, like the image above.  God, through the Holy Spirit, desires to give us so much more than we can receive.  Through the simple act of obedience, more of the clutter is removed from our life, and more of God’s Spirit can come into our life.  Most of the time, the receptacle (our hearts and minds) is too full of other things, for much of God’s Spirit to come in.  What is the answer?

Think funnel.  God is the pitcher full of grace, and knowledge of Him.  Our mind/heart is the size of the tiny end of the funnel.   How much of God can we get, if this is all clogged up, by disobedience, rebellion, stubbornness, and hard-heartedness?

Solution: Clean up the think-process, and turn in obedience to God’s Spirit.  Philippians 4:8 – Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable–if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise–dwell on these things.

This simple act of obedience, will open the funnel of God’s love and grace into your life in wonderful and exciting ways!  Don’t wait.  Do it now.

Go ahead, unclog the funnel.

Funnel

Going Grainy

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Daily Post: Grainy

grainy

Listening to the commentators on TV describe the tedious process of determining the direction of a putt by a professional golfer, can be confusing for those who don’t understand the terminology.  When the announcers speak about the “grain” of a green, it is a reference to the texture of the grass in terms of the direction the grass is leaning.  The “break” then, is the direction your ball will follow based on the green’s topography and the grain of the grass.

In the example above, if you are putting on a level green and hit your putt perfectly straight (ha!), but the grain of the grass is to the right, your ball will move to the right of the hole.  An experienced golfer will play this grainy influence by aiming to the left of the hole, allowing for the grain as an aid to help the ball stay on a path to the hole.

The grass on a given green, and the way it grows, contributes to the grain.  Most golf courses cut their greens from a different direction daily to keep the grain even.  However, if the course cuts their grass in the same direction every day, the grass will begin to grow in a distinct direction, leaning to one side more than the other, causing a grainy green.  Which by the way, some courses do intentionally to make a particular hole more challenging, or to assist the golfer on difficult shots.

Putting can be a lot like life at times.  It is definitely an imperfect and much maligned part of the total golfing experience.  What makes golf so different from other sports is the fact that there are 18 different greens to play in a single round of golf.  Since most golf courses place the pins on the greens at different locations every day, even if you play the same course over and over, it’s impossible to master every putt on every green.  And that’s just on one course.  If you play multiple different courses, the complexity of putting is multiplied exponentially.

What’s a golfer to do?  Here are three things to help you putt better:

  • analyze the grain
  • get a different view
  • trust your swing

Analyze the grain: this just means, do your best to see which way the grain of the grass is growing, and know that this factor will pull the ball in that direction.

Get a different view: just means, before you putt the ball, walk around to the other side of the hole you are putting toward, and see if the break caused by the grain looks the same from both directions.

Trust your swing: just means, after a quick look around (don’t waste everyone’s time here), use your best judgment, pick a line, and trust your subconscious muscle memory to help make your swing.

We could learn so much spiritually if we would approach our walk with God using these same simple instructions.

Analyze the spiritual grain around you…

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Get a different view than just what you see and hear in social media or fake news…

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Trust God’s Spirit inside you …

2 Corinthians 5:4-8
For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord–for we walk by faith, not by sight–we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Going grainy just means, we live knowing there are invisible influences which try to make us stray from God’s intended path for our lives.  We must go against these influences, keeping our eyes on the prize of God’s glory through our lives.  And most importantly, we must trust God’s Spirit to empower us to do it.

Every day… go grainy!

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Emanating His Eminence

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Radiate

radiate

Emerging from my slumber, and after an invigorating hot shower and shave, I’ve sat at my computer early this morning, pondering today’s word, “radiate.”  Going through my normal routine and practices of inspiration for writing, I stumbled over this image.  Right about now, I’m not necessarily feeling all that energetic.  However, as I examine my activities for yesterday’s article, and how it began with a thought, was energized and amplified by my emotions, the momentum carried through in writing the article.  Which happens regularly for me during these morning meditations.  If you missed yesterday, click here.

Everything is energy beginning with thought.  If this is true, then don’t the words of Scripture just leap right out of these words and into your minds?  Let me help you.

Philippians 4:8
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.

When I’m caught up in the truth of who God is, [He is LORD], and think on all His attributes [see verse above], I’m often overcome with emotion.  Some have called this weakness, or not very manly.  I was often looked on with condescension in Seminary by those who took a more stoic approach to interpreting scripture, or preaching the grace of God.  I just didn’t get that.  I couldn’t understand how someone in the face of it all, could be so emotionless about the eminence and grace of God.  I found myself smiling and the simple phrase came back to me: “God is good all the time.  And all the time God is good!”  These words can fuel a person’s energy in unlimited ways, because with this truth nothing can stop His goodness.

The Lord Jesus Christ is excellent and praiseworthy!  He is true (truth itself – His claim), noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable.  So, here’s the thing…  where is the glory of his eminence today?

What is going on with those of us who call ourselves Christians, that the world is not compelled to come to this same experience?  Is the power of the god of this world, Satan, so strong that he is capable of holding back the forces which Jesus said even the gates of hell couldn’t prevent? (Matthew 16:18)  Perhaps the problem is as simple as the interpretation of this one verse.  Some churches and some preachers have the interpretive mentality that the church is a fortress, and there should be gates to keep the heinous out, to protect the innocent (saved) inside.  They see the verse saying the church is being attacked and standing strong against an evil army.  While the fact of it may be true, this verse isn’t saying that.

However, this interpretation is the very antithesis of what Jesus meant.  We are the army, and we should be on the front-lines of the battle.  It is the very core meaning of the last instructions Jesus gave His followers:  go make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).  Actually in the original language it says, “As you are going…make disciples” which means every single day of the rest of your life, the job is to emanate His eminence.  The energy placed inside of you at salvation, fueled by emotion (dedication), and amplified into action, gains momentum as you seek to think daily on God’s attributes and Lordship. This energy should transform you into a beacon of hope to a lost and dying world. (Matthew 5:16)

Doesn’t this sound like something worth pursuing?  Are you doing anything today?  If you are let me ask you, “why?”  Have you given any thought to the energy you will expend, and whether or not it might have eternal value?  Whatever you do today, I’m sure will be important, or you wouldn’t plan to be involved.  The question is…

While going and doing today, will you emanate His eminence?

 

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