Has anyone ever found themselves worrying about something that they know in their heart of hearts; is rediculous?

The power of suggestion is an extremely strong force.  This concept dictates that the mind will follow it's thoughts.  A great deal of sdvertising uses the power of suggestion to make people remember their jingles and their products.  They will flood us with their literature and TV commercials and eventually you have it in your head.

This power can also be used for malicious and terribles means.  For example, say you were at home and your husband/wife was driving to a country town that night.  Later that evening you hear on the radio that there has been a major accident on the freeway which your partner was driving on.  In  your mind you start to worry about them, so you call them on their phone.  There's no answer.  Now your mind will start to find ways to justify that worry.  It will build scenarios and draw connections and conclusions which reinforce the idea that your loved-one has been killed in that accident.  Now you start to panic.  In fact, the reality of the situation is that your partner had stopped for a coffee on the way to their destination and the reason why they didn't answer the phone is because they left it in the car while they were in the coffee shop.  Do you see how the mind can work against us when worry and fear are involved.

The enemy knows how our minds work, and can set such chainreactions in motion.  The enemy can implant images, concepts and thoughts in your head and will try to make them seem like the truth and more than that; the truth about you.  The more you worry that a lie is true, the more your mind will try to find ways to reinforce and justify those lies to make them seem like the truth.  Revelation 20:10 refers to Satan as the deceiver of the brethren:

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

He will take your worst fears and tempt you to believe that they are a reality, so be on guard!  As Christians, it is our duty to put on the full armour of God everyday.  The armour is described in detail in Ephesians 6:11.  I would like to draw special attention to the helmet of salvation.  The helmet protects your mind from the enemy and the fleshy thinking of our human bodies.  The thoughts and attacks of the enemy are what Paul referes to in this book as: "firey darts".  Use your shield of faith to deflect these arrows.  Know who you are in Christ and know that who the enemy says you are, is an absolute lie!

In this same defensive manner, be careful about what you think about.  The power of suggestion is powerful and can lead yout o be deceived and confused about who you really are and what is really happening around you.

In 2 Corintheans 10:5, Paul says:

"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."

This MUST be done on a mental level and spiritual one!  I cannot stress this enough.  Allow the Lord our God to be in control of our thought life.  Plead the blood of Jesus over you and the Holy Spirit into you at the start of every day to be one with God in his strength, His truth and His wisdom.  Remember, he IS the way, the truth and the life of each and every Christian.

I leave you this week with one of my favourite scripture from Philipians 4:8-9:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Righteousness is defined by the Dictionary as: “Adhering to moral principles”.  We are told to be righteous as Christians, but let me ask you this; can we be righteous in our own rights and abilities?  Do we have the internal discipline to get up one morning and simply say: “From today forward, I choose to be righteous”? 

Indeed we are supposed to live righteously, but how do we obtain righteousness?  We obtain it as a gift from God on that very special day that we make the decision to live for Him.  It is only through faith in God that we discover the true meaning of living a righteous life.  It is in the pursuit of God that we discover the goal of living right and we give it everything we’ve got.  Paul said, in Romans 2:21:

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

I have always thought it interesting to see believers who say that they believe in God, but then proceed to live a life of debauchery and weakness.  Friend, indeed it is true that God is all forgiving, but it is also true that he is not a fool.  He knows you better than you know yourself.  It is a blessing to know God, but it is a blessing to fear and respect Him also.  I am not saying that we should fear Him like a cowering child, but live with a profound and pure respect for the creator of all things.  Righteous living comes from a godly life and from the pursuit of moral and correct methods of living.  Righteous does not come from merely attending Church occasionally and living a faithless, godless life for the other six days of the week.  Jesus never told us that Christian life would be easy, but He did say that the blessings would far out-way the adversity. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

Believe me when I tell you that we do not have it within ourselves to be everything that God would like us to be.  His standards are so high!  But, what impresses God the most is that we draw near to Him and follow Jesus Christ and do our very best to mimic His teachings to be everything He has called us to be.  Paul goes on the say:

“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,i through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”  (Romans 3:23-26 NIV)

We live a life which is opposed to the world, and in the pursuit of righteous living we find righteousness in Jesus Christ.