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I'm a little off track today because I wasn't able to get the computer, but I have it back now so back to the study we go!

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James 4:4 says "A friend of the world is an enemy of God". I guess this is one instance I should be happy I don't have any friends... I'm thankful that I've not gotten caught up in the web of sexual sin because from what I have seen and heard it is an awful, awful place to be and I thank God that I don't have to go through that.

I can't help but feel a little anxiety after reading Sower and the Seed. I mean, subliminal messages and all that crazy stuff really does make you want to just lock yourself up in the house, throw out your tv, radio, computer and hide from the big scary world! I mean, even when you think you're doing or watching something good, chances are, you're probably not. It's depressing, really.

But then we learn how to renew our minds. I want to have a mind like Christ. As a matter of fact, that's one of the things I pray for. I just want to do whatever it is God would have me to do, to live in His will, completely out of my own and completely away from my own selfish desires and pursuits. But I can't seem to do that. I don't know what I"m doing wrong, I don't have more of an idea of what God's will for me is today than I did the day I was born!

And I have a problem controlling my thoughts. Reading through this, it almost sounds like I shouldn't be feeling any emotions. The part that reads

Your mind (Soul) and your spirit can cause physical reactions too. Crying, goose bumps, shaking, laughter as well as sexual changes. All this just from a thought planted in your Mind (Soul) ... These all happen because your mind (Soul) told your spirit something and it caused the physical reaction. You can control your spirit by changing your thoughts. All you have to do, is send your spirit the signal for a different emotion by thinking differently. BUT ... Your Mind (Soul) has to believe it to be TRUTH.

This is hard for me to process right now. To me, fire is hot. Ice is cold. But if I tell myself otherwise and accept it as truth, then it won't be so? This is just really hard for me to process right now. How do you guys do it???

Hello pert =) im glad I found your posts, because I feel the same way. My thoughts have been extremely hard to control, but what I suggest is praying for the bad thoughts to go away. The effect is immediate: even if you say this prayer in your mind you'll find that the bad thoughts go away for a time. And remember, God knows your real feelings, so even if you think something really bad, just replace it with the truth, and it will go away. As long as you do not voice these negative thoughts, they have no real control over you. I admit, I have trouble with my thoughts especially at school, but don't let it affect you. I hope this helps =)

Hello Pert (((hugs)))

God bless you this day.

I'm glad your computer is now fixed, and that you have resumed the study. Yeah!!!

When a negative and repetitive thought hounds us, having us worry -- convincing us that no good will come of it, the thought is counter to God. God loves us, and doesn't want us to be led by those type of negative thoughts. That is when we need to turn to the Lord by faith, and trust in our Lord and His Word to lead us, not the negative thought. That is what is meant by changing our thought.

Example: Someone says something unkind to me, and it hurts my feelings. If I allow the thought to replay in my mind over and over and over, chances are my hurt feelings will soon turn to anger and a desire for revenge will grow out of that. With the hurt feelings and/or anger (feelings/emotions) because my mind (soul) kept thinking (thought) about the offense (the unkind comment made by another) I may end up feeling so upset that I feel sick, or get an headache, etc.

The truth of the matter is not the same as The Truth. The truth of the matter would be that someone said something very unkind. The Truth / Jesus / The Word desires that I let go of the offense (forgive) and continue to serve Him in love and in The Truth -- The Truth of God...His will. The Truth will set you free.

Anything that sets itself up against me being in the righteous frame of mind to serve The Lord, and others, in the love that is flowing through me by The Lord, needs to be booted out of my mind. Therefore, I choose to forgive, be renewed by The Lord and think on good things.

When Jesus was dieing on the cross, He said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Stephen said almost the same thing as a crowd was stoning him to death. Many would say, but they knew exactly what they were doing, and they did it willingly. Yes, I would agree, if I look at the situation with my worldly understanding only, but if I look at it through spiritual understanding given me by The Lord (the same spiritual understanding The Lord has given you and all His children), they really did not know the gravity of what they were doing. They killed The Son of God -- God in the flesh. And in the case of Stephen, they killed a child of God -- a man that carried the message of God. Eeeeeeeeek!!!

When we are offended, we do not know all that is going on in the person that offended us. They were most likely offended by someone else, too. See how easily one offense, keeps going and going and going -- being perpetuated over and over? But, if I say, I'll not be part of perpetuating this particular offense cycle, but I choose to forgive, allowing the love and grace of God within me to flow freely. Wooooohooooo!!!

Pert, it does take practice, and The Holy Spirit will help you. I'm far from perfect at this -- I still get offended and sometimes I lick my wounds way too long, allowing the offense to linger. But, when I follow the example of Jesus, in His Word and with the help of The Holy Spirit, I am soon renewed and back on His path. Hallelujah!!! Thank You Lord \o/ \o/ \o/

I hope this helps.

Prayers are rising to our Lord in the name of Jesus on your behalf. May God's blessed will be done.

God bless and keep you, Pert.
Love,
Mack

Thanks, Mack. That does help out, quite a bit. I do still wonder, though, how do I control physical reactions, like the goosebumps, crying, etc. the article talks about. I need to learn more about that.

Hello Pert (((hugs)))

God bless you this day.

Yeah!!! Thank You Holy Spirit!!!

Interesting question, Pert. I guess it depends on the reason for the goosebumps and crying. I know sometimes when I'm reading The Bible, or someone else shares something really awesome about The Lord and His Word that is pleasing to my soul -- one of those "Yes, Yes, Yes!!! Amen!!!" moments, sometimes goose bumps or what I call Holy Spirit chill bumps accompany it. I don't really desire those goosebumps go away. They do go away pretty quickly, yet, it is not because I desired them to go away.

Now, if I got goosebumps or chillbumps because I was uneasy about something sinister, I immediately start talking to The Lord in my mind, asking Him to help me understand what is going on. Honestly, I don't always get an answer, in fact, most times I don't, but, I do get a sense of peace, in just knowing God is with me and in talking to Him.

I'm also one of those peeps that often cries when I'm talking about The Lord -- one of those times when His presence seems magnified and it blows me away. At those times my tears are just one of the ways my being reacts to the presence of The Lord, and I don't know that I want them to go away -- even though my tears do eventually stop flowing.

In the past, if I was very, very angry, or very, very happy, or very, very, very scared -- whatever -- if my emotions/feelings were at 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, then I cried. It wasn't something that I thought about, it was just how my body reacted to something that I believed -- basically my body expressing what was in my heart, and it chose to express it through tears.

So, now, if my tears were due to an over-abundance of fear, I would start talking to God, immediately, and ask Him to calm my fears, and I'd recite II Timothy 1:7 God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind. If the tears were flowing because of an over-abundance of happiness, I just let them flow, laughing along with the tears. If the tears (and, the desire to curse/cuss) were due to an over-abundance of anger, I would start praying to God, asking Him to help me rid myself of that anger, and I'd forgive whomever or whatever I was angry about, then I'd start praising The Lord for blessed grace and mercy and LOVE!!!

Pert, I know I given several examples, but if my examples do not cover, specifically, what you were talking about / asking, please let me know, and I'll try to answer.

God bless and keep you, Pert.
Love,
Mack