| Living in God's Eternal Purpose |
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Paul said in 2 Cor. 6:12 that you are restricted by your own affections.
Have you been feeling restricted? Ask yourself what your mind and heart
have been dwelling on. What has occupied your mind? Are there thoughts
of negativity? Anxiousness? Criticism? Are you replaying the faults of
those around you? Look carefully at the word “occupy”. To occupy is to fill
up, to dwell in, to seize control of, to hold! If you have been preoccupied,
or occupied with the affairs of life, take a look at what is really taking
place. Your mind and heart are literally giving place to something, and the
thoughts that occupy your heart begin to exert pressure and control.
Eventually we don't even recognize that the fruit of thoughts of unbelief are
taking root, filling us up and literally seizing control. Wow. Your affections,
the things that occupy your heart, Paul says are the things that restrict
you. To be restricted is to exclude or make unavailable, to keep within
certain limits. You’re wanting to go beyond, to break through limitations!
To move INTO what God has purposed for you, not be kept out! As your
mind begins to be filled with HIS thoughts and HIS ways, your thoughts will
change (repentance=rethinking!!) and you WILL begin to move out of being
restricted by your affections and walk with God, into the place of utter
freedom.
How do I do this? You begin by allowing the Holy Spirit to show you where
your affections have been, what has been occupying your mind. You begin
to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in repenting (changing your mind) over
your thought life, your imagination, and the things you have been dwelling
on. Are your thoughts this important to God? Does it matter that much?
Absolutely! Jesus taught us that it’s not what goes into a man that defiles
him, but what comes out! As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. The thing
that has your attention is the thing that determines your destiny.
If you’re going to change your future, and possess your inheritance,
walking into the fullness that you believe God has called you into, you must
obey the Call to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. Begin to ask
the Lord to cleanse your thought life. To identify and reject thoughts bred
of rejection and unbelief. Then fill your mind with what God has said, what
He has been speaking. Fill your thoughts with His Word. But I warn you, in
doing this you will be in great danger of becoming peculiar and set apart.
You just wont be able to remain “normal”.
The Lord is calling to Himself those who set their whole heart on Him. That
means, all our strength, all our mind, all our desire! Jesus said to him that
has much more will be given, and to him that has little, it will be taken away.
Desire MUCH! Hold onto Him, and see what He will do. Follow Him with
intention. Intentionally put on Christ. Intentionally put on the anointing.
Intentionally be conscious that you are carrying Him and His Kingdom, that
His Spirit is not just within you, but UPON you, that you can change the
world and atmosphere around you!
Finally, the Lord has been speaking about reconciliation. Let go of the
bitterness of disappointment in people, circumstances and God. Some of
you have gone through very deep valleys. The inner accusations begin to
mount up as you remember and rehearse all the things that have not gone
your way, have seemed to go against you, and have seemed to hinder you
from doing what you wanted, and what you thought you would do. Thinking
on these things feeds the heart with disappointment. Do not be filled with
thoughts of what has NOT happened...fill your heart with what God has
already DONE. I tell you and I promise you that God is always Faithful. He
is always Good. He always Keeps His Word! The place of questions is the
place where faith is truly forged, and where you are usually alone. It is the
place where you decide who you will follow.~ Barbara
Have you been feeling restricted? Ask yourself what your mind and heart
have been dwelling on. What has occupied your mind? Are there thoughts
of negativity? Anxiousness? Criticism? Are you replaying the faults of
those around you? Look carefully at the word “occupy”. To occupy is to fill
up, to dwell in, to seize control of, to hold! If you have been preoccupied,
or occupied with the affairs of life, take a look at what is really taking
place. Your mind and heart are literally giving place to something, and the
thoughts that occupy your heart begin to exert pressure and control.
Eventually we don't even recognize that the fruit of thoughts of unbelief are
taking root, filling us up and literally seizing control. Wow. Your affections,
the things that occupy your heart, Paul says are the things that restrict
you. To be restricted is to exclude or make unavailable, to keep within
certain limits. You’re wanting to go beyond, to break through limitations!
To move INTO what God has purposed for you, not be kept out! As your
mind begins to be filled with HIS thoughts and HIS ways, your thoughts will
change (repentance=rethinking!!) and you WILL begin to move out of being
restricted by your affections and walk with God, into the place of utter
freedom.
How do I do this? You begin by allowing the Holy Spirit to show you where
your affections have been, what has been occupying your mind. You begin
to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in repenting (changing your mind) over
your thought life, your imagination, and the things you have been dwelling
on. Are your thoughts this important to God? Does it matter that much?
Absolutely! Jesus taught us that it’s not what goes into a man that defiles
him, but what comes out! As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. The thing
that has your attention is the thing that determines your destiny.
If you’re going to change your future, and possess your inheritance,
walking into the fullness that you believe God has called you into, you must
obey the Call to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. Begin to ask
the Lord to cleanse your thought life. To identify and reject thoughts bred
of rejection and unbelief. Then fill your mind with what God has said, what
He has been speaking. Fill your thoughts with His Word. But I warn you, in
doing this you will be in great danger of becoming peculiar and set apart.
You just wont be able to remain “normal”.
The Lord is calling to Himself those who set their whole heart on Him. That
means, all our strength, all our mind, all our desire! Jesus said to him that
has much more will be given, and to him that has little, it will be taken away.
Desire MUCH! Hold onto Him, and see what He will do. Follow Him with
intention. Intentionally put on Christ. Intentionally put on the anointing.
Intentionally be conscious that you are carrying Him and His Kingdom, that
His Spirit is not just within you, but UPON you, that you can change the
world and atmosphere around you!
Finally, the Lord has been speaking about reconciliation. Let go of the
bitterness of disappointment in people, circumstances and God. Some of
you have gone through very deep valleys. The inner accusations begin to
mount up as you remember and rehearse all the things that have not gone
your way, have seemed to go against you, and have seemed to hinder you
from doing what you wanted, and what you thought you would do. Thinking
on these things feeds the heart with disappointment. Do not be filled with
thoughts of what has NOT happened...fill your heart with what God has
already DONE. I tell you and I promise you that God is always Faithful. He
is always Good. He always Keeps His Word! The place of questions is the
place where faith is truly forged, and where you are usually alone. It is the
place where you decide who you will follow.~ Barbara