Memory Processing

Memory Processing

PPT 1 Open

PPT 2 Message title

Previously I have preached: My eye affects my heart from Lamentations 3:51. In that passage Jeremiah is crying because of what he sees happening to the young girls of his nation in a time of judgment. What his eyes saw brought great sadness to his heart. What you see can affect you emotionally.

Lot's eyes affected his heart (worldly lust)

The 10 spies eyes affected their heart (fear)

David's eyes affected his heart (sexual lust)

Peter's eyes affected his heart (he sank)

This morning we want to speak on our memories affecting our heart.

Guard your heart with all diligence. There are enemies without (things we see for example), and enemies within. (Our thoughts can be an enemy)

Memory can be a storehouse of blessing, or a bomb waiting to explode.

This is for many a nostalgic time of year. You will see lists on the Internet and on TV of people we lost this year. With that as a backdrop I thought I would speak on memory, and my message is basically going to be this: you can train that dog, the golden retriever we call memory, and you should.

The scriptures are full of texts that have to do with memory, I find it interesting that the very first instances of memory have to do with God, and His people.

PPT 3 Text

Ge 8:1 Then God turned his attention (remembered KJV) to Noah and all the wild animals and farm animals with him on the ship. God caused the wind to blow and the floodwaters began to go down. (MSG)

Ge 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Ge 9:14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,

Ge 9:15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

God could have remembered how evil the world was but He made a decision to remember something good.

The founder of the Red Cross, Clara Barton was once reminded by someone of an injustice and hurt done to her. Clara said she didn't remember it, the friend insisted and gave a few more details to which Clara said: "I distinctly remember deciding to forget that.."

Properly handling negative memories is a key to being an overcomer in life. Conversely, if you don't learn how to deal with bad memories you can live, a negative and depressed life. It really can be as simple as that.

Here are just a few memory verses from the scriptures:

We remember the leeks and the garlic we had in Egypt (Nu 11:5)

Memory can be selectively stupid.

What? did they forget the bricks and mortar, and hard labor, how terribly Pharaoh treated them, and murdered their children? Failure to remember the pain living in Egypt (sin) can bring, has caused many to return to a sinful lifestyle. Memory can be stupid, if it is not trained.

Remember Lot's wife

The rich man in hell remembered he had 5 brothers and wanted to warn them

This do in memory of Me

The prodigal son got saved by his good memories:

He remembered he had a wonderful father.

He remembered even slaves were treated better by his father that the world was treating him.

He remembered the way home

Memory can be an asset or an enemy. It can lead you home or back to the enemies camp.

There are things God commands us to remember.

PPT 3 text

Deuteronomy 15:15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

Read the text again, does God want us to focus on the slave we were or on the redeeming He did? The Redeeming.

A. What is memory?

Memory is stored information. You cannot unstore it. We can't just delete files like we do on a computer. If your files are being deleted it means your brain is dying, or you are suffering from amnesia. Even when brain activity ceases in parts of your brain the memories are still there you just can't access them.

I tell you that to say that memories cannot be removed. Whatever bad that was done to you or by you will always be stored in your brain. But that doesn't mean you have to live in those painful memories. If you want to be an overcomer in life you will have to learn how to deal with painful issues in your past. You can't undo them, but the pain that is associated with them can be relieved.