Taking Control Of Your Thoughts (Pastor Jose Jr)

Taking Control of Your Thoughts

Preparing for the Prophetic

2 Cor 10:3 Indeed, we live as human beings, F31 but we do not wage war according to human standards; F32 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, F33 but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

I. Introduction

a. The context of this scripture is correction of the church. Paul was teaching the Corinthian church about standards and true authority.

b. He mentions “obstacles (KJV “imaginations and very high thing”) against the knowledge of God”

c. He mentions bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ

d. This was to correct both rebellion in the church and a lack of proper perspective of how God’s Kingdom operates

II. The Role of Your Mind

a. The mind the seat of the soul.

b. It is the place where flesh and spirit exchange ideas and come to conclusions about the world around you

c. It can either be a conductor for the Spirit of God, or a breeding ground for the corruption of the flesh

d. It is the battlefield for the longest, most difficult war in a Christian’s life.

e. Control of this battlefield is crucial for fulfilling the purpose of God in your life.

III. How the Flesh Fights

a. The flesh fights to take control of the mind because it must be satisfied.

b. It fights to win authority over your mind in order to preserve itself and claim its rights over you.

c. Satan reinforces the battle by sending influences and shaping the world around you.

d. Tactic #1: Appetite

e. Tactic #2: Feeling of Discontentment

f. Tactic #3: Pride and Self-Preservation

g. Tactic #4: Oppression (Sadness, Guilt, Depression)

h. Tactic #5: Laziness and Forgetfulness

IV. How the Spirit Fights

a. The spirit fights to take control of the mind because it needs fellowship with God

b. It fights to allow clear passage for the Spirit of God into your life.

c. It fights to overpower the visions of the flesh with the visions of the Spirit.

d. Satan is powerless when these messages come through clearly, so his objective is to jumble them up.

e. Strategy #1: Yearning / Longing for God (Ps 42:1)

f. Strategy #2: Provoking the Mind to Consider Wisdom (Proverbs 1:20)

g. Strategy #3: The Fruit of the Spirit – (Gal 5:22-23) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

h. Strategy #4: Prophetic Intelligence (2 Peter 1:19)

V. The Role of the Mind in Prophecy

a. The mind interprets what it receives from the spirit (by the power of the Holy Spirit)

b. The mind can only interpret based on what it knows and is aware of.

c. The mind can only focus on a few things at a time, just 2-3 things at once.

d. Your spirit is constantly bombarded with messages from Heaven, persuasions from the Holy Spirit that are designed to guide your life and change your direction.

e. Your flesh is constantly bombard with messages from the World, persuasions from Satan that are designed to destroy your life and misdirect you.

f. Your mind must be equipped to interpret and discern between these two messages, giving the Spirit constant access and influence over your life.

g. When this happens, you are operating “in the Spirit”, and living prophetically.

h. Skill #1: Knowledge of the Word

i. Skill #2: Experience with His Voice

j. Skill #3: Awareness / Alertness / Vigilance

k. Skill #4: A Personal Commitment to God

VI. Ministry Time