For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 Defined by the Dictionary of Psychology, Imagination is “the reorganization of data derived from past experiences, with new relations, into present ideational experience”. This means that imagination is often based on real experiences, or a person’s experience with their own reality. It is safe to say that imagination is how one views the world. It is often a re-creation of the world. So, if one is asked to close their eyes and describe a place, they would re-create an image in their head about their perfect world and this would be imagination. Proverbs 13:15 tells us, “Good understanding giveth favor: but the…
Category: <span>God’s Psychology</span>
Love is long spirited. “When tempering your anger, you do not immediately avenge the wrong, but you leave an opportunity for repenting to the one who has transgressed.” Origen Love pervades and penetrates the whole nature, it mellows anything harsh or austere.” Trench Love does not desire to make war upon the good it beholds in another — and to trouble that good and make it less. Shakespeare Love is not a braggart, does not sound it’s own praises or show off. Vincent Love does not self-display, employing rhetorical embellishments in extolling (glorifying), one’s self excessively. Thayer Love does not make sacred things “natural, “to cause a thing to pass into nature. ” Thayer Love does not run the risk of bringing the virgin daughter into shame, as in 1Corinthians 7:36.(a daughter who has passed the marriage age and father has not yet given her to marry.) He doesn’t shame…
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:” Matthew 6:9-13 Vital to our lives brothers and sisters, we must pray for God’s will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Where to be found, this will? Matthew 7:25 explains: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: Others built on sand. In each case, “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house.” The rock foundation stood but the sandy one fell.…
A story recalled from Bergen-Belsen — a prisoner “strikes up a friendship with a doctor named Marie. The two are talking one day when a Polish prisoner comes to Marie for help. She is not sick — she is about to give birth. At first Fania and Marie panic, but then they collect themselves and have the woman lie down on a table. Silence is imperative, so the woman, ‘teeth clenched,’ uttered not a word. She knew the fate of children at the hands of the SS. Fortunately, the child arrives quickly, There are no scissors, Marie cuts the cord with her teeth. There is no water, Fania rips the lining out of her coat, fashions a crude version of swaddling clothes, and wraps up the baby, still covered with blood. The woman, who has not yet said a word” — dresses, puts on her shoes, and takes her child…
Some days no thoughts come. Too much sugar in last night’s snack? Maybe. The Complexity of a man’s soul; body and spirit also, make for an exciting life of wonder. Victor Frankl defined some of the complexity as the tension between objectivity and subjectivity in a person’s inner being. He said we always battle back and forth between the two. I will say this, objectivity (freedom from bias, Merriam Webster) can only be attained from an un-biased source i.e. The Bible. Un-bias includes every person, considers every possibility, and explains every nuance or phenomena known to mankind. In contrast is the Subjective realm ( of or relating to the essential being of that which has substance, qualities, attributes, or relations: Merriam Webster). Subjective is extra-Biblical, however, it is explicitly described in the objective Word of God. Yes, the objective Word speaks of the Subjective in no uncertain terms — head sick,…
1Samuel 18:6 says, “And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.” Joy, joy joy erupted at the hero’s welcome ceremony following victories over their oppressors. A cause for great joy. 1Kings 1:40 teaches, “And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.” The occasion? Solomon anointed king in Israel. Joy at the inauguration of a great king and defender of the people. 1Chronicles 12:40 shows us, “Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat,…
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…” “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron, ” 1Timothy 4:1-2 Sometimes I am taken mentally with a bombardment of regret. It seems, in these times, that I could easily emote remorse for every conversation, every activity of yesterday, even the day before or many days before that. Soon I am reviewing my whole life with a hyper-critical evaluation. The “over-run” results in one sad person. I slowly descended from carefree liberty in my thought life to an inward-turned mindset which reeks with inadequacy. I am being seduced. But, somehow the critical eval bears the flavor of truth; indeed some of it may actually measure up as accurate. O no! Friends, what has gone wrong? Perilous times, brothers and sisters, perilous…
“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:19-21 Let’s be honest, the Law excluded us from it’s righteousness, which righteousness is the reward for perfectly following it. That Law could never make those coming with sacrificial offerings perfect, being weak through our fleshly nature. See Hebrews 10:1-3 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. Better Hope? “…(the law)…
We have received grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephesians 4:7 By faith we have access into this “gift of Christ” wherein we stand. Romans 5:2 This “gift of Christ,” in us, equals the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 The life that we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God…Gal 2:20 Herein is our love made perfect, because as He is so are you in this world. 1 John 4:17 Paul said this in Colossians 3:4 “Christ, who is our life.” And again, “for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 Is Christ the source of everything we do in life? As a born again believer, yes. We are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Friends, we want to think in these terms, “without Him we can do…
“The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance. The stars shall applaud Him with thunders and praise. The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting. And we shall behold Him, then face to face. “ Can we imagine? Can we wait? Revelation 1:7 explains, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, …Even so, Amen. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 The song continues, “And the angels shall sound, the shout of His coming. and the sleeping shall rise from their slumbering strain.” “And those who remain shall be changed in a moment. and we shall behold Him, face to face.” Friends, we shall behold Him in all of His glory. In Revelation 1 He is: ” …clothed with a garment down to the foot,…