Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life II Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:   Once upon a time I was an adjunct professor at a Bible college in our area. As such I was given the task to teach certain subjects as the administration deemed necessary. My least favorite part of teaching those classe

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Hebrews 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country  from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned .   The good old days were not always so good. Sometimes however, God’s people begin to think about their life without Christ. How easy it was then, no church obligation, no pushing yourself to read your Bible or pray, no preacher encouragi

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Hebrews 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?   God is said to be mindful of man, and that He would visit him. This is the essence of religion. James 1:27 states: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, an

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life 2 Timothy 1:4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;   Paul is mindful of Timothy’s tears. He does not elaborate concerning the reason for the tears, they are just mentioned in passing. But to Timothy this is not just a passing statement; he would certainly recall that which Paul is referencing. Paul and Timothy were co-laborers, m

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Isaiah 17:10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips :   Of all the controversies that the Lord God has with His people there can be none more heartbreaking than that they forget Him and are not being mindful of Him. No mother wants t

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Psalm 115:12 The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us ; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron .   Someone once said “The entire Bible was not written to you, but it was written for you.”  Such is the case with today’s verse. This verse proves that the Lord is mindful of the house of Israel and the house of Aaron. Someone may say “This verse

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Psalm 111:5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.   Here is a great lesson on relationships.   It would seem that many people think that relationships are built purely on physical attributes. There are many reasons for establishing relationships which include, humor “I think they are funny,” attractiveness, popularity, even proximity.

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?   Perhaps you have heard the old saying, “The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible.”  This is very true. One good illustration of this truth can be found in reference to today’s devotion: What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  To expand this further, to highlight it, and to b

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Nehemiah 9:17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art  a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not .   We seem to live in a time wherein if something did not happen

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life I Chronicles 16:15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which  he commanded to a thousand generations ;   Today’s verse is taken from a Psalm of thanksgiving written and sung by King David. Oh that kings today would be ever mindful of God’s covenant. What a different world it would be! Probably if a poll could be taken of the readers of these devotions, they would overwh

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life James 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?   My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord  of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing,

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God  is  quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and  is  a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart .   There is much publicity today concerning the ability to discern someone’s future actions based upon their electronic footprint. In o

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life   Romans 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their  thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)   I was having a bit of a disagreement with my boss. It was not heated, or argumentative, it was just a difference of opinion on how we should handle a certain problem with one of our customers. This

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life   Luke 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?   I’ll tell you why! Because they were in the presence of someone who died and was buried three days ago! Jesus is now alive and speaking with them. If this happened today, we would have some thoughts arise in our hearts too.   From time-to-time thoughts arise in our hearts that we c

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life   Luke 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided  against a house falleth.   This is the fifth and final time in the New Testament wherein it is recorded that Jesus knew the thoughts of others. Among Bible believers the number five is associated with grace. This is something to think abo

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Luke 6:8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Once again, we read of the fact that Jesus can know the thoughts of others. Frankly, I do not know if the above statement means that He knew their thoughts as we would, through perception, reading their body language, general kn

Minding Your Thoughts   Luke 5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Perceiving thoughts of others may have been easy for the Lord. For the rest of us, attempting to perceive the thoughts of others can be a slippery slope. The first few years that I worked as a sales representative we received telephone messages from secretaries. The toll free number on my business card was for an office in the Chicago area. Th

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Luke 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. There is an Old Testament story, found in II Kings 6 that wonderfully illustrates the truth in today’s verse that …. the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. God not only knows that which we say and do, He knows the very thoughts of the heart. Consider… Jehoram, t

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Mark 7:21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, There is an old phrase that says: “Seek to find tongues in trees, books in running brooks, and sermons in stone.”  This means to allow everyday things to inspire your thoughts and give illustration to your communication. So, with that thought, another dog illustration tod

Minding Your Thoughts   A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life Matthew 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: The very first mention of evil in the Bible is in Genesis 2:9. In the midst of the garden of Eden God created a tree called … the tree of knowledge of good and evil . This is the tree from which  Adam and Eve ate causing their eyes to be opened. God com