We can illustrate what we are reading in a margin. One day they would judge the world and angels. gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. There is a theme in our scripture of righteous men and women getting upearly in the morning to serve the living God (Joshua 6:15; Nehemiah 4:21). They no longer are my passions in life. Another aspect of the crucified life is that we are hidden in Christ. One of the best verses to meditate on in this challenging season is Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. She kept this up for many days. In return, we will become more like God and not react to the devil but respond to the Father. God placed all things under his feet. Love instead of hate. This parable is about the fruits we will find in our lives if we lose our expectancy of Christs coming. Psalm 119:17-20 Open My Eyes! He wants them to live like the world instead of living like a citizen of heaven waiting for their coming King. 10:45). Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). The very reason many cannot think on things above is because of worldliness. We must understand the Shepherd who protects us with his staff, feeds us even amidst our enemies, anoints our wounds, and never lets us leave his hand. Psalm 119:137-140 Zeal + Ignorance = Worthless Religion, Psalm 119:141-144 Assurance of Perseverance, Psalm 119:145-148 Meditate on the PROMISE, Psalm 119:149-152 Be Comforted For God Is Near. We spend our lives holding back from God. They were to develop reminders to help them memorize it; they were to tie it on their hands, foreheads, door frames, and gates. Psalm 119:157-160 We Are In A Battle Listen to Philippians 3:2021: But our citizenship is in heaven. 6:69). In the Lords Prayer, we are taught to be consumed with Gods name being hallowed, and his kingdom and his will being done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. Look at what he says: Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? To be hidden in Christ is essentially a reflection of how we are dead to the world. By subscribing to our mailing list, you'll receive daily devotions right in your inbox. And it is with his whole heart that he cries out to Yahweh for an answer. Meditate on Things Above - Bill Johnson Published in BILL JOHNSON Sunday, 11 December 2022 06:25 Bill Johnson - Watch Sermon: Meditate on Things Above. The true God speaks first. 4:7), the kind of peace that only God can give (John 14:27). Genesis 12:3 ESV I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed., Genesis 3:15 ESV I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.. In Joshua 1:8, God tells Joshua, Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.. We must keep in mind the context of this passage (and every passage). And while we suffer affliction by the will of God, we call onHim who has afflicted us to save us from it (1 Peter 4:19; Philippians 1:29). Meditation, strictly speaking, is an Old Testament word. In return, we will become more like God and not react to the devil but respond to the Father.Scripture References:Luke 18: 1Colossians 3: 1 Ephesians 1: 7Connect with Bill Johnson Ministries:Website: http://bjm.org/Facebook: http://bit.ly/BJMFacebookInstagram: http://bit.ly/BJMInstagramTwitter: http://bit.ly/BJMTwitter Additional Resources:https://shop.bethel.com/collections/bOriginally shared at Bethel Church, Redding on April 14, 2019. 8:56). Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. We get the impression that the people who spoke of meditating did so seriously and threw their minds fully into the action. However, a truly born-again person desires what the Spirit of God desires. This is important because if we dont do this, we may sometimes go a week and realize, I havent read the Word of God.. We are looking forward to the coming of our Savior. Forget what the hours ahead may hold. Psalm 119:13-16 Declare and Delight! 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 Cor. ]. Revelation 1:3 says, Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.. I was looking for the answer to what the promise David referred to in verse 148. When the psalmist speaks of meditating, the object of his reflection is Gods law (Torah), Gods promises, Gods works, and Gods ways. A. Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995). In the episode, Michael and Cuatro discuss how to find a local church if you are searching. When Paul talks about Christs coming, he also mentions our appearance in glory. Paul said. John said. In this way, youll spread Gods heavenly kingdom here on earth. In return, we will become more like God and not react to the devil but respond to the Father.Faith brings answers to prayer, but enduring faith brings answers with character. Interpretation Question: In what way have believers died, and how should this affect our thinking? We must develop friendships with wise, godly believers who help us seek spiritual things. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 8:56). Psalm 119:41-44 Answering the Taunter Be joyful always; pray continually (1 Thess. If you are consumed with being a doctor then you will constantly be thinking about your grades, preparing for exams to get into med school, or considering the best college to go to. Those pursuing the benefits of meditation are told to focus on their breathing and quiet their thoughts for the purpose of relieving stress or anxiety or other forms of mental distress or confusion. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. These doctrines are very important for us to drink deeply from so we can be ready for our Lords return. You cannot serve both God and Money (Matt. His Shepherd provided food, drink, and oil for healing and refreshment. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1). In order to develop a heavenly mindset, we must continually crucify ourselveswe must daily reckon ourselves dead to self and alive to God. 6:24). He will have one think about graduate school, marriage, retirement, and anything else rather than Christs return and our future glory with him. You will be molded in how you view yourself: The world will control how you think, how you dress, what type of job you seek, and the type of school you go to. John says that there is a blessing on the one who reads, hears, and takes to heart the words of prophecy in the book of Revelation. Bill Johnson encourages us to always pray aware of who God is. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Col. 3:4). Bethel Rediscover Series - Bill Johnson, Building a Culture of Honor - Bill Johnson. Help your family grow spiritualty and stay in Gods Word today! More importantly, if we are going to live a godly life it starts with a godly mind (Col. 3:15). To meditate in Hebrew means literally to "chew" on some thought (as an animal chews the cud) with the teeth of our minds and hearts. for the inclination to turn from the world to his word, for the spiritual ability to see his glory in his testimonies. Your email address will not be published. Were on a mission to change that. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. Psalm 119:161-164 Do You Hate Falsehood? This should be true of every genuine Christian, that we love Gods approval more than mans. (John 12:43). 4:6). 23:7, paraphrase). Meditation reveals our true loves. We get a picture of the protected life in Psalm 23. An advocate for Bible literacy, her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ. When he calls to God to save him, this is the cry of a righteous man who wants deliverance from earthly foes and enemies who are distracting him from his true desire, worshipping God in spirit and in truth. 8Finally, brethren, whatever things are (A)true, whatever things are (B)noble, whatever things are (C)just, (D)whatever things are pure, whatever things are (E)lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthymeditate on these things. But, we must ask the questions, What exactly did we die to? and How did we die?. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (Deut. If we dont understand the crucified life, we will become enslaved to our wants and desires and other things we were delivered from. All will bow and call him Lord (Phil. This is a daily discipline. Our minds are either lorded by Christ or someone or something else. What does your mind say about you? Col. 2:8). The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. But before we pair it with prayer, lets rehearse just the basics of what the Bible says about meditation. Do family obligations and work in this cursed world take you away from things you want to do for God? 6:57). Tensions are running high. The general principle is that Gods word comes first, then our prayers. Many Christians are scared to evangelize, scared to share their faith, scared to counsel, scared to serve God, etc. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God.. The promise we have received is no different, but we have received more revelation. Episode 65 Canceling Church Because Its Christmas? This doesnt mean that we dont pray for our desires; it means we are not consumed with our desires. Meditating on Gods law, his promises, his works, and his ways trains us to think according to them. Are you not constantly bombarded with news reports of evil and politicians diverting culture from goodness? If you are going to think on heavenly things, you must be a teacher. You can find her at JenWilkin.net and on the Knowing Faith podcast. Practically, this may mean not watching certain TV shows, reading certain magazines or books, listening to certain music, or hanging around certain people, especially when we find they contribute to drawing us away from God and godly thoughts. Paul says, Because of this reality, shouldnt you be able to judge these small disputes in the church?. A mind that is set happens only by rigorous acts of discipline, and we must seek to develop this through study of the Word of God. How to use meditate on/upon in a sentence. With Bill Johnson. What in the world did people do after dark on lonely nights before we had television? But meditation is, in fact, a Christian discipline. My life is not bound any longer to sin or my desires. Psalm 119:141-144 Assurance of Perseverance Psalm 119:81-84 Our Whole Being Longs for God These circumstances are all part of the decree and plan of God. That prayer would not only lead to and saturate our hearing and studying and meditating on Gods words, but also (and mainly) that prayer, as our response to God, having heard his words, would be informed and shaped by his words. So it is part and parcel of our love for God that we would wake up early to start our day with prayer and devotion to God because it doesnt come naturally to our flesh. Under God, Over the People! 1:21). The Lords Supper is not only a look back at the cross, but it is also meant to be a look forward. 23:45). Again, when he says above, he really means God and his kingdom (cf. First Corinthians 15:2426 says. In this challenging time, we have many choices. Like Christ, a person who has reckoned his death has become the meek who will inherit the earth (Matt. If you are not seeking things above, you are already being pressed and molded to look and think like the rest of the world. The fool in Scripture is a person who says there is no God or does not live for God (cf. To make it tangible: instead of our prayer lives being list-driven, it would be fitting that our prayers be word-driven. In the same way, this heavenly mindset is developed through constantly thinking on our future in Christ. But it is most convicting when we realize how much we do not even pray with our whole heart. How do we impress Scripture upon our hearts? Every Tuesday you are going to encounter the Word of God there. Like the servant who thought his master delayed his coming, we often cast off restraint and become consumed with our earthly life instead of our heavenly one. Neither biographers nor Broadway can ignore Alexander Hamiltons late-flowering Christian faith. We linger over it. Why should we practice it? I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. We will have glorified bodies when Christ comes. by Michael Coughlin | Dec 21, 2019 | pSaturday Psalms, Theology. But what about prayer after meditation? For less than $5/mo. A heavenly mindset is developed by a focus on our resurrected position. Faith brings answers to prayer, but enduring faith brings answers with character. Indonesian,and What you think about the future affects how you live today. Application Question: What other applications can we take from the importance of knowing our resurrected position in Christ? If God was not, we would have no reason to wake early for prayer and study. Every Friday you are going to encounter the Word of God when you meet with brother or sister so-and-so. So while we despise evil, we love those who are yet-to-be-saved. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:4248). 11:26). Psalm 119:137-140 Zeal + Ignorance = Worthless Religion Perhaps less widely understood today is how meditation also serves prayer. We should practice this often to keep our hearts ready for our Lords appearance. 6:910). Both sides blame each other. The mind is very important. Please enable the javascript to submit this form, I cancel this at the beginning of Dec and now charged please refund today and send email to confirm. As Christians, our meditation will have a certain center of gravity. We died with Christ and now are hidden in him. And yes, you will be considered narrow when you do this, but this is the type of mind that pleases Goda mind that is set on Gods Word. Christ said, You cannot have two masters, you will love one and hate the other. The word feedeth meditation, and meditation feedeth prayer; we must hear that we be not erroneous, and meditate that we be not barren. 8:6). Even when his enemies surrounded him, he ate in peace. The discipline of waking up early to start ones day is something that must be taught and must be disciplined. Paul in Colossians 3:1 is telling us that we must think about our resurrected position with Christ. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Meditation is a lost art today. This meant that they needed to view everything from the mindset of God and what God thought about things. And so, we awake while it is still dark and meditate on Gods promise. So why not give it a try? This encouraged him to cast off restraint as he lived in discord, waste, and blatant sin. 6:7). In order to have a heavenly mindset, we must reckon our death to sin. See something we missed? By contrast, Christian meditation is thefilling of the mind for the purpose of acting. Do you struggle to find the time to sit down and read your Bible every day? Meditate on Things Above - Bill Johnson (Full Sermon) | Bethel ChurchSubscribe for weekly videos:https://bit.ly/BJMYouTubeFaith brings answers to prayer, but. The apostle Paul, in one of the most important chapters in all of Scripture, warns, Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Right thinking leads to having the manifest presence of God in our lives (Phil. The second coming of Christ and our future glory should make us purify our thoughts, our conversations, and our daily endeavors. On the first kind of prayer, the Desiring God Affirmation of Faith confesses that prayer is the indispensable handmaid of meditation. By that, we mean that prayer serves meditation on Gods word. Psalm 119:61-64 Companionship Required fields are marked *. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! This speaks of our eternal security and Christs constant protection of us. Dont you know you will judge the world and angels? God has given judgment over to the Son (John 5:22), and because we are seated with him, we will judge the world and angels in his coming kingdom. Thomas Manton (16201677) captures it well: Meditation is a middle sort of duty between word and prayer, and hath respect to both. Psalm 119:165-168 Cause Effect Eagerly await is strong language (in the original) to express the earnest expectation of something believed to be imminent. In the episode, Michael and Cuatro discuss with Oliver Allmand-Smith the phenomenon of churches canceling services for the Lord's Day due to the Christmas holiday. 5:22-23), and we must choose to focus on them in this season. 2:1011). When you endure suffering for the cause of Christ, meditate on Gods promise that He will lift the curse. Rather, it naturally progressed from hearing his words through reading, to meditating on them in the heart, to speaking back to him in prayer, asking that he make this precious reality true of me, my loved ones, our church, and our city. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. For now, hes working as hard as he can to wreak havoc on the earth and in your thought life. (Joshua 1:8). If they just understood their position and their authority, it would drastically affect their ministry. She writes about finding peace in God's Word at sarahgeringer.com. One of the best verses to meditate on in this challenging season is Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Bill Johnson encourages us to always pray aware of who God is. We die to ourselves, our desires, and our wants in order to submit to Christ. (Colossians 3:2 NIV). Yes, the Scriptures have a plain meaning the Spirit illuminates, but they also yield deeper and deeper levels of understanding when we make them our repeated object of thought. We cry for help from the One who is Blessed forever so that we might enjoy the fruit of living in obedience to Him. Mystical meditation methods sometimes make inroads into Christian practice: If I read a verse and hold very still and quiet my mind, the Spirit will speak insight into the empty space. While well intentioned, this approach can often lead to misinterpretation on a grand scale. Your email address will not be published. God made plain the necessity of the leaders of his people meditating on his words, as he said to Joshua: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. We not only pray that God will give us eyes to see, but also once we have seen, and been aptly moved by his words, we respond back to him in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Psalm 119:173-176 Seek Your Servant Like a Lost Sheep, Free Chapter from A Change of Heart: Understanding Regeneration and Why it Matters. His perfect control exercised from his throne in heaven, where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. In order to have a heavenly mindset, we must reckon our death with Christ. Jesus rebuked Peter for not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33). May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Psalm 119:105-108 Freewill, Oaths, and More Affliction We must learn how to pray at all times, bringing every thought before our Father. If we are going to have the right mindset, we must focus on our resurrected position. We can read them aloud in a community group or a family setting, as a means to talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deut. Cuatro and Michael discuss the Christian trend to erect, display, and defend Nativity scenes, particularly those which include an image of the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul says that the way a person thinks is an indicator both of his salvation and his fruitfulness. Those who study Revelation and the doctrine of the end times have a double blessing. Would you like to get these devotions delivered right to you by email? [ This article is also available in Image: Jurica Koletic / Unsplash / Edits by Rick Szuecs. 2:20). Therefore, as an act of the will, we must reject sin, selfishness, the world, and the devil to develop a heavenly mindset. Christians should automatically think about what Scripture says when they see movies, watch the news, or are asked a simple question. What else is needed to develop a heavenly mindset? Like many, you may picture the caricature of someone seated in the lotus position, eyes closed, hands extended, murmuring a steady stream of Om sounds. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. When you have to teach something, you cant help but think upon it all the time. The psalmist declares here that he rises before dawnto cry for help. Our thoughts are not neutral, innocent, or harmless. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things arenoble, whatever things arejust, whatever things are pure, whatever things arelovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthymeditate on these things. Psalm 119:149-152 Be Comforted For God Is Near He tells us about himself, and about ourselves as his creatures, and about the world he made, and his Son and Spirit. We reverently talk back in the wonder we call prayer. Its a caricature many Christians dont identify with or even outwardly reject. He was born of the virgin, conceived without the stain of sin by the Holy Spirit, and was perfectly righteous before the Father in every respect, although He was tempted by Satan (Hebrew 4:15). And our prayer and our commitment ought to be the samethat we might keep Gods statutes. They must seek things above. David believes in Yahweh God and has trusted in the promise (see Psalm 119:148) that God would send a messiah to save His people from their sins. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Things Above Us (Col 3:1-2) is committed to producing content that unashamedly points our readers to the Person and work of Jesus Christ and the spreading of His Gospel to every tribe, tongue, and nation. Christians dont need mysticism or quiet emptiness for the illumination that comes through repetition. Christian meditation is not an end in itself but is intended to yield the fruit of right living. If you focus on the headlines, your anxiety is sure to rise. We can hear them sung and learn to sing them ourselves. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things arenoble, whatever things arejust, whatever things are pure, whatever things arelovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthymeditate on these things.
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