4.4.11

2 Corinthians 10:5

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.

Dear friend,

As I sit here trying to type this morning, my mind is everywhere. I'm bouncing back and forth from the keyboard to the TV, wondering what's on the news and thinking about the weather. Wandering the internet aimlessly sucked in by Facebook statuses and caught up in what my wife so fondly calls the "email fog" or "internet fog". You know what I'm talking about, where your eyes stare intently at the screen in front of you, face expressionless and mouth hanging there open. My thoughts race a millions miles a second completely out of control and here I sit captive to my thoughts, unable to focus. Idle. Unproductive. It's supposed to be the other way around! Can you relate?

I'm to be taking my thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. Did you notice that the verse says "we take captive every thought"? It doesn't say some, or just those related to our sin. Every thought! I need to send all these distractions packing so that my focus can be on the Lord. Any argument or right that I think I may have that is contrary to the knowledge of God is to be destroyed. None of these things bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Take captive your thoughts today. Pull yourself away from the distractions and pray for Jesus to give you the strength and wisdom to recognize those idle, unproductive and sinful thoughts and turn them over to God. We have both the assurance of answered prayer (John 16:24) and the assurance of victory (1 Corinthians 10:13)!

In Christ,

-Robert

3.31.11

Psalm 34:17-18

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Dear Mike,

Are you crushed in spirit or brokenhearted this morning? Cling to the promises of God's Word and cry out to the Lord in confidence that He hears, He delivers and He saves. The Lord is near, my friend, let us pour out our hearts to him in our times of desperation and comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

In Christ,

Mike

3.30.11

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Dear friend,

Sadly, I must admit that many times I go through the day not thinking once about our true struggle. Moreover, when I do struggle, I'm often focused on the things of this world which is not where my Father wants my focus to be.

Our struggle is not of this world and this verse, along with the context of Ephesians 6, can be a bit overwhelming. Rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, forces of evil in the heavenly realms...it can sound a bit like a comic book if we let it. However, this is not a tale of fiction...this is what is truly happening right now! But take heart, endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3), be strong in the Lord and His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10) and put on the full armor of God.

Let us remember that God exerted Christ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Everything is under the feet of Jesus and God appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way! (Ephesians 1:21-22).

Praise you Jesus that you have overcome the world! Nothing can thwart the plans of our God and the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us!

In Christ,

Mike