The Mind: The Power of Perspective and Perception
(Not only for ourselves, but those around us who become infected with our negativity).
we feel limited in understanding certain things about our lives,
own perspective
Now let’s say that she goes ahead and enters the cake into the contest and the three judges love it, awarding it a blue ribbon. The difference in what she was feeling and thinking becomes totally wrong…based upon a different PERSPECTIVE…those of the judges.
This small example teaches us how easily we can be ‘shut down’ mentally and emotionally by the ‘mind games,’ going on inside of our brains…when we are not employing the power of Perspective and Perception. It is important that we employ all ‘weapons’ or techniques, (given to us by God), to fight these devastating deceptions.
“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, TO PERCEIVE the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion…a wise man will hear and increase learning, a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:1-7
to apprehend understanding through our senses and mind while stimulus is present.” The definition of perspective is: “Our mental view of a situation, (both internal and external). So Perspective is how we are viewing a circumstance…while perception works to give us an understanding of that circumstance. The problem with both perception and perspective is they both need ‘outside’ stimulus to be accurate…otherwise they are wide-open to misinterpretation and deception. This is where knowledge and wisdom come into play and why Biblical truth and established knowledge is so important to us keeping mental boundaries. Otherwise our Inner Critic will take over…filling our minds with false information, regarding our circumstances.
The Four Seasons of Life
CHILDHOOD: Childhood is the launching board from which our minds will take us to in the future. Our “Formative Years,” are a time when our minds are growing, (both physically and with knowledge), and when we are most susceptible to false narratives from our Inner Critic. (These criticisms can last a life-time). In short, our self-esteem is being formed in these years, and our self-esteem is what defines us to ourselves in relation to others.
In girls, the Formative Years are typically ages 3-11 years old, while in boys it is typically 3-13 years old. (This is why many boys seem immature to girls of their own age). It is during these important years that our minds are being sponges…soaking up all kinds of information…both good and bad. It is a time when ‘hurtful’ or ‘bullying’ words or actions can cause us to embrace extremely negative views about ourselves, effectively shutting down our true power and possibilities. It is also when we are our most active in imagination and ‘day-dreaming’ of what our life could be in the future…even if we have no concrete ideas how to get there.
YOUNG ADULTHOOD:
ADULTHOOD:
This is also a period of life, when we begin to question our own mortality and try to find God in a deeper and more meaningful way, or in some cases, try to recapture our youth by re-evaluating our current life and deciding it’s not bringing us the happiness we had hoped. This is often referred to as a “mid-life crisis.”
SENIOR ADULTHOOD:
THE PERSPECTIVE OF ETERNITY AND GOD
As we struggle through various parts of our seasons, what doesn’t change is that we are seeing life from our own perspective and that perspective is often flawed, because it is only focused upon temporary outcomes. God however…has been an intimate piece of every moment of our life on Earth. He views us from the lens of eternity and desires to give us that vision of ourselves now. Imagine how minute the problems we are going through now would seem…if we could view our whole existence through the lens of eternity!
While we often hear that in Heaven there is no more sickness, pain, death, defeat, sadness, etc…it is also important to remember that “IN GOD’S EYES” (perspective) we have already entered into eternity the moment we can to believe in Christ.
This whole part of the teaching on the mind is for us to reflect upon our current perception of things by getting a different perspective. Imagine how our belief system might change if someone were able to give us a more accurate perspective of ourselves than the one we created for ourselves or the one that was created through our Inner Critic.
Ethical Dilemmas
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
Vol. 7:–No: 20(May 22, 2016)
Adult life today is more complex than when I was a young adult. People in my parents’ generation said the same thing. As time marches on, knowledge keeps increasing and new technologies keep emerging. The need to use these tools also escalates. We hope wisdom keeps pace with responsibility.
There have been moral and ethical dilemmas throughout history. What would we have done if we had lived in Nazi Germany and we were forced to either lie to save our Jewish neighbors or tell the truth and watch them being led away to prison? We often discuss theoretical problems such as, do we save the drowning baby or the five drowning adults in a sinking boat? The likelihood that this will ever happen is very small, but we do face other ethical dilemmas. Should I lie to spare the feelings of my close friend who has been struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide? Perhaps that answer is not so well-defined.
Although most of us move past the simple ethical rules we learn in childhood, we still try to keep moral reasoning manageable by framing it in terms of principles, goals, virtues, rights, etc. Although each of these has its merits, none is perfect.
How do Christians ‘do’ ethics? By drawing from scripture, reason, tradition, experience, and last, but not least, guidance from our Heavenly Father. Do biblical studies help? They certainly do not hinder. Do we feel overwhelmed? Perhaps a little, but with God’s guidance and direction, all seems to always fall into its proper slot in the grand scheme of things.
People who want to grow spiritually can. Think about this: most of a garden’s growth occurs when the gardener is not there, yet the growth could not take place without the gardener’s hard work. Some cultivate the soil, some sow the seed, some water and tend to the plants, and others reap the harvest. It’s God who gives the increase.
Christians Overseas: Defend Them!
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
Vol. 7:–No: 19(May 15, 2016)
Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
In the courts of Islamic nations, like Pakistan, anti-Christian bias is widespread. In a recent event, a Christian man was beaten there, then shot three times by two Muslim men when he tried to stop them from harassing Christian women on their way to a Sunday church service.
A Christian lawyer in Pakistan, representing the shooting victim, pressed charges against the two shooters, but another local lawyer responded by filing false charges against the Christian man and his family in order to keep them from pursuing the criminal case.
This is a sadly typical mistreatment of Christians in this area. Soon, the local police also registered a case against this family.
The Christian lawyer went to the High Court there and filed a motion to dismiss all charges. He also filed a petition for bail. When the police investigation found this family innocent of all charges which had been brought against them, said Christian lawyer argued that bail was not necessary because the police would not be arresting them. But bail should be denied for the Muslim defendants, since there was sufficient evidence connecting them to the crime. The court eventually agreed with said statement from the Christian lawyer.
Victory can still be obtained, even in a strongly anti-Christian environment if those who claim to be Christians will stand up and have their voices counted.
Fighting For Christian Students
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
Vol. 7:–No: 18(May 8, 2016)
Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Schools, it seems, are increasingly hostile to Christians and anything which sounds as if it might have a Christian overtone.
A California public school recently showed just what it means to discriminate against anyone who even slightly hints at being a Christian. A cheerleader for said public California school was barred from displaying a cross on a banner. The cheerleader was engaged in a school tradition of long standing: posting banners featuring the logos of local businesses sponsoring the team.
But the logo of a local doctor’s office contained a cross, and the school removed the banner, claiming some people were offended by it.
Stop and think—the logo did not constitute the school’s speech and the removal of it because of the religious symbol is discriminatory if other student groups are allowed to display similar banners with secular symbols.
For decades, all people in this country have enjoyed the right of free public speech, be it written or spoken. This free public speech is not limited or constrained by one’s religious belief, political agenda, or any other such entity.
After much debate and parental phone calls, the school reversed course and allowed the banner. This is simply an instance where the U.S. Constitution and students’ freedoms of speech, association, and religion were finally recognized and allowed to stand. These are liberties which our Founding Fathers fought for.
Complain, Complain – Life Just Isn’t Fair!!
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
Vol. 7:–No: 16(April 24, 2016)
Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
I wonder if any of you have ever had the feeling that life is bad…really bad. So bad you wish you were in another situation. Many of us have been through such thoughts. Life isn’t always easy. Life can be harsh. Work is hard. Life in general is hard. Everything seems to go wrong. Perhaps you don’t seem to be making enough money to make ‘ends meet’ all the time. But how about those who seem to be happy when money is ‘tight’? Unfortunate happenings may still befall them, and life in general seems without hope. No matter how much money you have—this will not bring happiness or joy. So how can one be happy when much is against you?
Think about this: some mothers in India perform a grisly deed—that of chopping off the hand of their young in order for the youngsters to have a more pathetic look as they beg on the streets for a daily handout. Would a mother do such a deed? The answer is a resounding ‘YES’ because it is a common occurrence. The desperate mother deliberately causes her child to be handicapped so that the child will look more pitiful and thus, hopefully, evoke more sympathy(plus money) from those who come into contact with said child.
One man, who thought his world was too harsh to survive, saw first-hand the atrocity just mentioned above and he instantly was thankful that not only did he still have both of his hands, but he could use these hands to provide for his family, no matter how hard the situation became. He began to realize just how fortunate he was—to have a complete body, a job, a family, and the chance to pick and choose what he wished to eat. A change of clothes daily. A warm bed to sleep in at night. He also realized that even though life can at times be hard, one must be grateful for what one has.
What about you? Is your life so awful? Maybe the next time you think you are in such a bad way…think about the child who gave up his hand just so he could beg more efficiently on the streets. Like a great philosopher once said…”Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want; it is the realization of how much you already have.”
Gideons Under Attack
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
Vol. 7:–No: 15(April 17, 2016)
Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
A recent Sunday morning service at Trinity Christian Center Church featured a representative from Gideons International. This messenger from said organization delivered a short, but succinct message dealing with the work of the Gideon team. After the service, a voluntary collection was taken up to help support the work of placing Bibles and New Testaments in various locations around the world via the hands of the Gideons.
A recent action taken by the largest association of atheists and agnostics in the United States has asked the hotel and motel industry to offer Bible-free rooms and accused the Gideons International of exploitation.
In a letter, the Freedom From Religion Foundation(FFRF) urged the American Hotel & Lodging Association, whose members offer a total of 4.8 million rooms, “to offer Bible-free rooms, just as establishments now offer smoke-free rooms.”
“It’s time that the lodging industry just says NO to the Gideons. They are exploiting hotels and motels to proselytize a captive audience,” it claimed.
The Gideons International has distributed over 2 billion Bibles and New Testaments over the past several years, Charisma News reported.
“It is more than just a number. We are placing Bibles because they lead people to Christ. Behind every number is a face; behind every face a story; behind every story a priceless soul that will live throughout eternity,” said The Gideon International President, Dr. William E.G. Thomas.
In its letter, the FFRF said it prefers that hotels and motels place Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” in their rooms instead of Bibles.
Growing In Godly Wisdom
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
Vol. 7:–No: 14(April 10, 2016)
Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
How can we grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God? One good way is through experience. I vividly recall the first time I ever taught in a classroom setting as a full time rookie teacher. I had achieved excellent grades in my experience as a college student and done quite well in my experience as a student teacher. But when it came time for me to be the ‘real instructor’ to the young minds sitting before me, I suddenly realized that no matter what I had achieved in the college classrooms or the student teaching, I had no real experience in dealing with ‘my’ students.
Many mistakes were made, but through the actual experience of doing it all by myself in front of a class, I became a better teacher as the years rolled by.
We all can also grow in difficulties. Paul had been shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, and left for dead. Yet, he wrote that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. In Greek, the word character means ‘tested and approved’. You may have gone through trying times, but did not wilt in the fire. You came back solid and strong, and you understand who you are in Christ. Whatever circumstance you face, you know nothing can stand against you as long as Christ is your mentor.
Paul goes on to say in Romans 5:5-“Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” This is the voice of experience. This is the voice of someone who knows he can trust God, no matter what happens.
Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. Perhaps you are out of your comfort zone. The only thing you know is that God said to do something and He wants His people to say, “That’s all I need, God. If you have said to do it, I will.” Then we trust God to see us through whatever comes our way.
James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” We need to humble ourselves and say, “God, I don’t know what I’m doing. Please guide me like a child.” He won’t get mad when we ask. Instead, He promises to give us wisdom liberally. And He never disappoints!
Restoration Of The Mind
Romans 8 (NKJV)
Free from Indwelling Sin
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The Human Being is made up of three distinct parts, working together to allow us to function, learn, obtain knowledge and use knowledge to our advantage. The three parts of mankind are The Spirit, (Our eternal life), The Body & The Mind. Having all three of these parts working in sync is vital to having a productive, peaceful, happy life. Having imbalance in any of these three areas, can cause us to struggle through life. However, if we can find health in all three areas, we can be productive, while also being at peace.
This lesson will focus upon The Mind and how to do a cleansing of excess junk and re-establish things that are by nature, healthy and productive for our minds.
WHY THE MIND TENDS TO FOCUS UPON SIN
Remember that before Adam and Eve ate of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil…they had no mental knowledge of evil. The lived in the Garden of Eden, “naked and unashamed,” because God had their minds covered. Although there was evil…Adam and Eve had no knowledge of it, so there would have been no shame, no guilt, no hard feelings, no fear.
They lived in peace and harmony with each other and nature. However, upon their ‘sin of disobedience’ (eating the fruit that God had forbidden them to eat), they suddenly were overwhelmed with the knowledge of evil. Instantaneously, they were hit with the fear of the repercussions of their actions, the shame of being naked, and the fear of having to face God in their disobedience.
Because we were not ‘equipped’ to handle the knowledge of evil, our minds can quickly become overwhelmed with thoughts that do not promote peace and life, in Christ. Anyone of us can let our minds wander back to events from our pasts that are unsettling and fill us with painful ‘mind-scenes,’ followed by painful emotions, that leave us feeling horrible.
Few people can completely forget certain ‘mind-scenes’ from their past. For example: a soldier who views the horrors of war ‘up close and personal,’ can rarely forget the ‘mind-scenes’ that have been indelibly en printed upon the brain. In some cases, the constant replay of these scenes becomes a mental illness known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, that can completely ruin a person’s ability to function normally thereafter. The mind can become a House of Horrors…filled with horrible sounds, scenes, and monsters of our past, leaving us fearful, feeling alienated from God, and a complete emotional shipwreck.
But remember…these things happen when we are locked into “Carnal Thinking.”
WHAT IS CARNAL THINKING?
My own definition of Carnal Thinking, is thinking that forgets the work of Christ in and for us, and places the burdens of our past, present and future squarely upon ourselves. Because of our ‘weakness in the flesh,’ we condemn ourselves AND PUNISH OURSELVES with overwhelming feelings of guilt, failure and shame, that steals our joy and peace.
In these instances our minds condemn us and accepts guilt as the price of our self punishment. However…it is important to realize that it is indeed ‘SELF-PUNISHMENT,’ and not punishment that is coming from God. Therefore, we are being “mentally tricked” by Satan to feel these awful emotions…generated by our pasts.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL THINKING?
In my view, to be ‘spiritually-minded,’ means that we allow our minds to be consumed and covered in the work that Christ accomplished upon the Cross for us…embracing and accepting that our fleshly acts have been washed away by His Blood, forever. Not just once…but continually, day by day.
Only in humbling ourselves to His salvation can we ever hope to put the horrible feelings of our past failures to rest, and live in the “newness of life in Christ Jesus,” free from guilt, shame, self-condemnation and defeat.
THE PROCESS
In order for us to walk free of the horrible ‘mind-scenes,’ of our past (or even our current), we must stop and process the events in light of the Cross and the Blood that flowed from the Crown of Thorns, over the Head of Christ. That precious blood was shed to cover our minds from the pain of the knowledge of evil in our own lives.
Our human nature is to “bury the past,” rather than having the past completely washed away. If we bury it, it is still there and our minds can easily “resurrect” it…even when we don’t want to. However, if it is “washed away,” it is no longer there. It is not ‘buried under The Blood of Christ,’ but it is ‘Washed Away under The Blood of Christ.’
COMING TO TERMS
As I said, we tend to try and ‘bury’ bad mind-scenes. However, to be free of them…or at least the power of them, we need to submit each one to The Cross. If I asked you to sit for a bit and think of five major events in your life…five memories that are very difficult to replay in your mind…what would they be? If those scenes foster painful emotions within you…they have been buried, not washed away under the Blood of Christ.
As a mental exercise…close your eyes…replay the horrible or sad events one more time and then take them, (as if in a small cup), and place them at The Cross…allowing the Blood of Jesus to wash each one clean…and not only clean but whiter than snow.
After that is complete…make a mental record that each event has now been dealt with once for all. At that point, refuse to ‘dig it up anymore.’ Only then can we embrace spiritually-minded thinking. Thinking that embraces forgiveness and peace with Christ. No longer guilty, no longer a victim.
Protecting Our Military
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
Vol. 7:–No: 13(April 3, 2016)
Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Atheists are attacking Christians serving in the U.S. military, but the American Center for Law and Justice is fighting back.
Marine Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling’s superior officer ordered her to remove from her workstation three small strips of paper bearing an encouraging Bible verse. When she declined, the officer ripped down the verses, uttered a vulgar epithet, and threw the papers in the trash. Sterling was then court martialed for silently expressing her faith, as the Marine court held that she was “not exercising her religion” when she posted the scripture verses, that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was inapplicable, and that Sterling’s Bible verse postings were motivated by “subjective beliefs” not legitimately “part of a religious belief system.”
A mid-level military appellate court rejected Sterling’s appeal. So, the A C L J filed a brief—on behalf of 42 members of Congress and 142,000+ Americans—asking the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the highest military appeals court, to hear her case and overturn this dangerous ruling.
Angry atheist Mikey Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation asked the court to reject Sterling’s appeal and ignore the violation of her religious freedom. Weinstein and his extremist group have repeatedly called Christians in the military “monsters who terrorize”.
The court has now agreed with the A C L J in granting review of Unites States vs. Sterling. The A C L J is now preparing another brief in support of Sterling and the merits of her position.
This case could set a serious precedent, making a dramatic impact on the religious liberty of all our men and women in uniform.
Easter
TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE
VOL. 7:–No: 12(March 27, 2016)
Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Back in the 1880’s philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche declared that “God is dead”, and before the turn of the twentieth century, George Shaw and H.G. Wells chimed in saying the 20th century would mark the end of the world’s “religious phase”.
Yet, today a church now meets in Russia’s Museum of Religion and Atheism-the former center of atheism. Nearly half of the United States’ population attend worship on a regular basis while revival is sweeping through Latin America and Christianity grows behind China’s iron curtain.
Nietzsche, Shaw, and Wells have long since decayed in their graves, and God continues to live! That’s the message of Easter. He is risen. He is risen, indeed!
Muhammad died and was buried. His faithful followers take pilgrimages to visit his remains; the same is true of Buddha and other religious leaders. But it is not true of Jesus. You cannot visit His remains; you can only visit His empty grave because He isn’t there. He arose!
That’s why we celebrate Easter!!!