Why Do Our Thoughts Matter?

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I'm sure I'll get on with attorney Dick Bernie.

It's good to be home here in our second week of our series pathways with Maj. Mike Harris. Throughout this series were discussing our thought life is Christians last week, Mike discussed the Wesleyan quadrilateral which was John Wesley's philosophy of how a Christian to develop their theology through Scripture, tradition, experience and reason this week.

Mike continues by simply asking why our thoughts matter so Cheryl, how do you differentiate the role of her heart versus her mind not biologically, but spiritually why think that our minds are the access point into our heart, how I differentiate them the things cutting thoughts come into our mind, and the more that we kinda marinate on them or believe them had the more it can get down deeper into our heart and it becomes actually something that becomes part of a belief system. It's not true.

Just because you know that ministry, but that then that becomes a heart issue or a heart thing that you have to begin to deal with this comes up later to any thoughts about just trying to why we need to know what the Bible says right in its context right affects us because it is one of the spiritual issue can become a biological issue.

Those things become mental health is be become such an apparent thing over the coat course of the last 18 months the I just think it's so important that we saturate our minds with the truth. You write because again that truth is the access point into our heart, which is where we live out of his jewelry in Proverbs versus guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the wellsprings of life. You know that it begins in the mind and where that light is the light of God.

The word of truth, that we can come through the darkness.

That's right, that's a good illustration will as we dive into this important subject. We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions anything you'd like Mike to elaborate on the send us an email. radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call us at 1-800-229-9964 Megan Hoffer and I want to invite you to check out another show brought to you by the Salvation Army heartbeat is a one minute show about real life heartbeat touches on topics ranging from finances and prayer, dictating, and mental health support to us only began feeling like my life was on autopilot. The alarm goes off ready for work. The morning rush to get home. If you are looking for a short message of hope to challenge you and brighten up your day. Subscribe to heartbeat wherever you get your podcast or visit Salvation Army downcast.

Hello this is Maj. Mike Harris again and we are doing another session on series pathways where we are we looking at the importance of full life and today we are asking the question, why do fools match. Why do fools match. I say to you that our ability to reason to think maybe the greatest expression of love that there is if you go back to Genesis chapter 2 love Genesis chapter 2 is this image of total perfection. It is absolutely wonderful as you picture. Genesis chapter 2 may be enclosure right as I'm doing right now. You can have this image of this of this paradise for rivers running the pitch on the Gish on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers running through just nourishing the ground and everything is green trees and bushes everywhere. It's just absolutely glorious. Also says in Genesis 2 that God got Adam to name the animals as soon as Adam is naming the animals we get this image that even nature is one with my listening field between man and animal.

It is absolutely perfect everything in unison. Everything in union and very significantly if it most importantly of all, my miss it one with gold.

We read in Genesis how God would take a walk through the garden in the cool of the evening. This incredible image of oneness, the core social Genesis 2, we see the creation of woman.

Therefore, the creation of the finish of the perfection if you will of the God who created the and of course we also know that the walls one field in the midst of all this.

Yes, in the middle the garden with these two trees. The tree of life had Adam and Eve sinned, they could have access to that tree and still be alive and perfection. To this day. But of course we also know there was that second tree tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Nonetheless, by the end of Genesis, we knew the rules. Genesis 2 SKUs. We knew the rules we sold that perfect God. We also don't seem Genesis 2 is any independent full of man is nothing that pertains to the way the abdomen evil thinking that shifts immediately in Genesis chapter 3 of the story.

The serpent comes along stops to talk to Adam and Eve. Such talking about that tree in ESA so we can't touch that will surely life. We touch that one. The servant says no you will surely die. God just as what you think. Like he thinks this is this.

When the woman sold the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom.

She took some and eight. She also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it. Therefore, the first sin very soundly. The first decision of rebellious mind was to disbelieve God.

God says you will surely die, the serpent says no, that's not going to happen.

I do believe believe the serpent forgot the first decision made of a rebellious mind was to disbelieve God. It was also the first time that mankind had thought independently from God. Of course, therefore, the first consequence was a separation from God, and now we had learned to think independently of God. And quite frankly, all hell broke loose. Adam and Eve had children only know the story that we came enable they make sacrifices before God able comes out and sacrifices the front portion of the newborn lambs are not pleased God. Then along comes Kane and he present some fruit and vegetables that did not please God. He rejected that sacrifice what happened next. Will Kane's mind starts to wander. He was upset that his sacrifice had been rejected, so we catch this plan to little his brother white and kill him. And now motherhood into the house of mankind, she can quickly see that I fulfill not only important, but they also like catalyst of terrible things that slowly go against God's will is how can we change how can we improve it. How can I fools align with God like they once were in the garden of Eden. Of course the answer is him was the answer to everything that's good. The answer is Jesus. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost lost taught the lost mind and he went to great lengths to accomplish.

It is method was self-sacrifice to this paraphrase of God from Philippians chapter 2 verse eight was offered by Eugene Peterson in the message and this is how he phrases that portion of Scripture.

Think of your shows the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.

He had equal status with gall book but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status. No matter walls for two when the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave becoming human coming become human. He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges.

Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death. The worst kind of death of that crucifixion. Jesus chose to die this way so that our hearts, minds might be realigned on that level of sacrifice was needed in order that man could be returned to its original state of oneness with God, with a pure heart, and with a sound mind CFOs of that's important that important but Christ died for them because the hearts of the mind are completely intertwined reflection of each other enough to chapter 16. The Pharisees came challenging Jesus and the disciples, not for the first time about for the last time but this time they were bullied because the disciples didn't wash their hands before the ate Sandra like a visual person would have with a nine-year-old. But the washing of the hand with the tradition and the disciples were not keeping that tradition to which Jesus responded by saying this was something of a smile. He said to the Pharisees are you so go you see that what ever is enters the mouth goes into the stomach in and out of the body, but the things that come up with a person's mouth come from the heart and needs to file them for out of the heart come evil thoughts, motor adultery, sexual immorality, theft. Estimate me slander. These are what defile a person, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them. So again we see in that portion Matthew which Jesus is saying out of an evil heart basically come evil fools, but with a pure heart heart that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit conforms to the puerile and consistent with the will of God on the dangers that we see and I will today more than ever is we are trying to manage and dictate people's thoughts.

If God allowed Adam and Eve the ability to think, to the point that they rebelled against God himself.

Then we have to respect another person's free will. Their ability to think as they want to think we don't have to agree with it. We don't have to like it but we have to accept it as a magnificent symbol of God's love.

No, it doesn't say that anyone thought processes right from wrong, it just as we have the right to think as we want to put on our part.

We need to allow a redeemed change in puerile hostage speak louder to this world making our actions and words more persuasive.

We must be vigilant in protecting our thoughts and making them captive to Christ friends. Therefore enough will process interactions. We need to be the example and show people what is to be like Christ. The Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 right SI PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony.

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