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Too many times, we settle for psychological satisfaction instead of a real or concrete result. What I mean is too many times we are happy to “just think about doing something”, instead of getting off our butts and actually doing something about the situation that we are in or the dreams that we want.

We want the reward of the needed actions but are more afraid of the monster that we have created in our thinking, so we end up settling for simply thinking and at times even planning about our needs and never making a heartfelt effort to bringing our desires to life.

And this is where self-sabotage appears. We end up short-circuiting or under cutting the process, in order to avoid a monster mostly of our own making.

We spend a lifetime seeking the comfort and joy that is a by-product of the very actions that our fears want us to run from.

Now think about this

The things that we want will only come to us, after taking the actions that our emotions are screaming for us to stay away from.

The solution is to make our dreams, our goals, our aspirations, larger than the monster in our thinking. Our ability to walk victoriously in life is tied to our capability to create and maintain a mental state and awareness of God’s established principles. Which is a fancy way of saying that, we need to act confidently in faith.

OUR LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE OR OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF THE WAY

WE FEEL INSIDE.

AND THE WAY WE FEEL INSIDE IS A

DIRECT REFLECTION OF WHAT WE

CONSISTENTLY CHOOSE

TO FOCUS OUR THOUGHTS ON.

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com

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In Genesis 3:8, Adam hides because for the first time in his life he knew how it felt to be out of God’s will. He had experienced fear for the very first time. For the first time in his life, he felt the consequence of disobedience.

For the first time in history, man became double minded, of two totally different tracks of thinking….at the very same time and space.

The real price (for sin) that Adam paid can’t be seen or even touched, but to this day, we can all feel the weight of an empty God sized hole inside of our spirits, just a raw, barren throbbing of the most important thing in your life having been torn away.

On the outside, everything looked the same, but on the inside, Adam felt a change, he knew a pain that drove him to his knees. He hid from the only One who could restore him, Adam hid from his Abba, his Father, God Himself

Generations later, being double-mind is second nature for many of us. But thank God for His love. His love gives us the time that allows healing to happen. Yet, it’s more than just time, it’s the quality of time spent in God’s Presence.

Healing can only happen when I’m willing to surrender, to know (and admit) that my way just doesn’t work. (My pride doesn’t want me to admit that, I’m exactly right where the sum total of my choices have put me. My choices and I’m sure even more of God’s grace than I’m even aware.) God’s grace and God’s love, they are around me even when I don’t see them.

“Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. 1 Peter 4:8

(I thank You Abba, for covering MY multitude of sins, thank You for MY healing and the revelation of who I Am in You.)

Healing and revelation bring a change in heart, which leads to a change in speaking and thinking which lead to a change in actions that produce a change in results.

We spend so much time looking for a formula that we forget to acknowledge the Giver of the principles that empower the steps of the formula. The unrenewed mind is blind to the truth that most of the pain and hurt in his life is in those areas that he has not turned over to God. It’s facing the pain, the truth that my life is worthless and pointless without a living relationship with God, with Life Himself.

· A renewed mind can confidently reach through his covenant with God, into the future (just as David did with Goliath) and see the giants in his life defeated.

· A renewed mind makes choices that reflect who he is in Christ.

· A renewed mind knows that healing is a process of exchange.

· A renewed mind creates the environment that allows the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly to happen inside of YOU.

It’s your allowing God access into those areas where you hurt the most, those areas that have the greatest amount of emotional pain. A forever-changing mix of emotions, from fear to total bliss. Add a bucket of tears and a few road trips outside of your comfort zone and you (with God’s grace, love and guidance) find yourself moving forward faster and healthier than you had dared to even hope. All because of a renewed mind.

With a renewed mind:

1. God becomes your focus, the Giver is more important than the gift (of life)

2. You start thinking from God’s point of view (you see your life through His eyes)

3. You understand that stewardship is to return the thing (everything from people to your spoken words) that you have been entrusted with back in better condition than when you started to be responsible for it.

4. You walk by faith. You acknowledge reality (facts) but you choose to stand on God’s word (Truth).

5. There is a heartfelt shifting from me to we. You allow God to use you in serving others.

6. You think, act, then feel (The unrenewed mind – feels, acts then thinks).

7. You know how to encourage yourself when times are hard. (You focus on the joy set before you).

8. Doing right is more important than being right. (Don’t win the fight and lose the marriage.)

Next up: Our final directive from Romans 12:2 is

· Prove it for yourself = Try it and the results will speak for themselves, both in your life and in His will being done through you

Get ready to grow in confidence, some really good stuff is coming up in Part 4 – How to Transform Your Mind, see you then.

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com

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At the heart of why so many people do not have the abundant life that Jesus died for them to have is because they do not have a transformed mind. This is the real reason that they (we) are not living their (our) dreams and manifesting the very things that God wants them (us) to have.

“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (change) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude]…” Romans 12:2a [Amp]

The non-believing or unsaved person and the Christian without a transformed AND unrenewed mind share a “What about me” mentality of life. This mentality or way of thinking speaks right to the heart of the lie or ruse that caused Eve to be deceived, “That no one can take care of me better than I can do for myself.” “That for whatever reason, God is holding something back from me.” “That He doesn’t want me to have the very best is life.”

Understand that you CAN be saved and still believe a lie straight from the pit of Hell. Hosea 4:6 starts with “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” God says, “MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED…” you can be a Christian and STILL be LIVING a life of defeat, a life of hurt, a life of pain.

“And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise. Now what I mean is that as long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate;” Galatians 3:29; 4:1 [Amp]

The unrenewed mind is self-centered. This “What about me” way of thinking and attitude of heart is childlike in nature. Here are a few ways that being childlike in your thinking (or having an unrenewed mind) affects your not walking fully in the abundant life of God’s promise:

• 1) Even if God granted your heart’s desire, most likely it would take your focus off your relationship with God, which leads to sin (and death).
• 2) You are not willing to do the very things that would allow God’s promises to flow (with ease) into your life. The very disciplines needed are viewed as punishment instead of preparation.
• 3) You will not have (or even desire to get) the wisdom needed to be a Godly steward over the things in your care. In other words, you will not be able to take care of, properly, the things given to you.
• 4) An unrenewed mind will always focus on doubt, looking at their situation (life) from a fearful or fleshly point of view.
• 5) An unrenewed mind is always looking to be served. It's focus is on me, myself and I.
• 6) An unrenewed mind makes choices mainly by feelings, unwilling to exercise the needed effort that Godly principles require.
• 7) An unrenewed mind is more concerned about what others think than pleasing God (or being obedient to His Word).
• 8) An unrenewed mind lacks the (emotional) maturity to stand (to keep doing the right thing) until he or she sees the desired results. Just like a baby that cries as soon as it is hungry, he or she wants it NOW and exactly like they want it.

There are simply certain things that you cannot handle because you are still a child (in your level of thinking for that area of your life).

Let us recap the four-part directive found in Romans 12:2 (See my blog – Part 3 Choosing Jesus as Lord)

1. Don’t be like the world

2. Transform your mind = To change HOW you think

3. Renew your mind = To change WHAT you think

4. Prove it for yourself = Try it and the results will speak for themselves, both in your life and in His will getting done through you

Notice that Romans 12:2 says that you transform your mind BY renewing it. The Greek word used here for transform is “metamorphoo”, this is where we get our word metamorphose the word we use to describe how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Which is a mirror image of the very thing that happens to us when we daily purpose to renew our minds by changing what we think on, to focus on God’s word (His promises) instead of the problems that we see with our eyes (our circumstances).

THIS IS A PROCESS.

A transformed mind is the result or byproduct of “Renewing Your Mind”, you are responsible to change your focus or what you think about and God will do the rest .(The change of How you think will become as natural as your old way of thinking was.)

We will deal more with the “real world” application of the process in Part 3 of “How to Transform Your Mind”

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I though like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 [Amp]

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com

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“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 [KJV]

You (we) are a spirit, who has a soul, who lives in a body. You are a spiritual being, having a human (or earthly) experience. The first directive in Romans 12:2 is for us “Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs]…” To NOT be like the world (See my Blog entitled “Part 3 – Choosing Jesus as Lord) or to see, understand and to do things differently from the world.

Let’s keep in mind that the question that we are chasing is, “How do we get God’s promises out of the book and into our daily living.” The physical, materialistic things that we want have a spiritual foundation.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” Ephesians 1:3 [KJV]

What the world does (and the Christian, who doesn’t have a transformed mind) is to seek the physical, material things without an understanding of the truth that all things come from the spiritual realm, in other words the things that we want are a “by-product”, or a result of how well we embrace and are obedient to spiritual principles.

This means: 1) not doing those things that don’t line up with God’s word and 2) that we put our focus on spiritual things FIRST (Matthew 6:33).

We know that we are made in the image and likeness of God, but in John chapter 4 Jesus gives us a very meaningful insight as to how we need to communicate or relate to him,

“A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people at these as His worshipers. God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (reality).” John 4:23, 24

Notice and Jesus says that we “…MUST worship Him in spirit AND truth (reality).”, that our relationship with Him exists on more than one level, spiritually (or an unseen aspect of life) and in truth or reality (meaning the day-to-day aspects of living). We must create an environment that invites, that draws God’s promises into our lives by putting Him FIRST in all that we do.

We do have an active enemy; this is a spiritual battle, so we need to use spiritual weapons and tools in order to fight a spiritual enemy. Spiritual tools are expressed through Spiritual principles and Spiritual principles are an expression of God’s Word.

Now, here’s the thing, Spiritual principles or God’s Word have a two-fold expression: 1) Knowledge and 2) Revelation. Knowledge comes from reading God’s Word, but its revelation that gives you the understanding of “How-To” use it. How to apply His word to your life and revelation is an extension or a by-product of relationship, spending time in prayer and fellowship with God Himself.

Your relationship with God becomes the channel that His principles use to flow through and the quality of that relationship is a factor in determining the quality and quantity of His promises that you have in your life.

The most important thing that you can do so that you will not be like the world is by making the time to spend with God. From this relationship comes the revelation of how to apply His word to your daily living, which opens the floodgates to His blessings and starts His promises flowing into your life.

In part 2 of “How to Transform Your Mind” we will deal with changing HOW YOU THINK. See you then.

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com

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Can you think of a day since God said, “Let there be light”, that the sun has not shined? Or can you think of a time since God set the stars and the planets in place, that the earth moved out of its orbit? Heck, let us get straight to the point, Can you think of anything that is stronger, more powerful or greater than God is. Go ahead think about it. I’ll wait…..take your time. Finished? Can’t think of anything?

Well, I’m willing to bet that we CAN AGREE that there is nothing stronger, more powerful, or greater than God is. Yet, there is one thing that God, Himself, has chosen not to override or over power and that something is YOU, or more specifically, YOUR WILL. This is a very, very, very important point, so let’s go slow here. The first step in getting God’s promises for you out of the Bible and into your life, is realizing who YOU ARE IN CHRIST and HOW POWERFUL YOU REALLY ARE – AT THIS VERY MOMENT IN TIME.

“God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our likeness, and let them have complete authority…” Genesis 1:26a [Amp]

“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly being beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:” Psalms 8:4 – 6 [Amp]

I (God) said, You are gods [since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives]; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High. Psalm 82:6 [Amp]

The Hebrew word for God in both of these Psalms is Elohiym (El-o-heem), God, Himself. It’s so, so, so very important that you get this; the order of authority is God, then man, and then the angels and Satan is a fallen angel. (Yes Adam did turn over the keys to the kingdom, the authority over to Satan, but if you ARE born again, this does NOT apply to you. We will address this in part 4) Satan is scared “spit less” of you getting this truth down inside of your heart.

See, Satan’s key tool, his most important means, his foremost device in keeping you down, in KEEPING YOU FROM LIVING THE ABUNDANT LIFE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR is deception. He uses deception to keep you spiritual blind of THE TRUTH that he is ALREADY UNDER YOUR FEET. (You need to realize that he’s fighting tooth and nail just to hang on.) And he’s most successful in using deception to trick you in using your God given authority AGAINST yourself, AGAINST God’s will, and AGAINST God’s desire for your life.

We live in a choice driven world. The most powerful thing you can or ever will do is to make choices; the better, the more God aligned the choice, the better, more joyful and satisfying the result. And there is only one way to make choices that will align with God, and that is by transforming AND renewing your mind.

“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so the you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will for God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. Romans 12:2 [Amp]

This is actually a four-part command:

• 1. Don’t be like the world
• 2. Transform your mind = To change HOW you think
• 3. Renew your mind = To change WHAT you think or focus on
• 4. Prove it for yourself = Try it and the results will speak for themselves, both in your life and in God's will getting done through you

Meditate on this for now; we’ll get into the details of the “how to’s” of transforming your mind in part 4 of Choosing Jesus As LORD

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com

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Jesus’ question in Luke 6:46 clearly implies His desire for us to do what He says and instructs, but why should we? Outside of fulfilling a sense of religious duty, what do we get out of it, why should we serve Jesus as Lord? And if there is a benefit from serving Jesus as Lord why don’t most Christians do so?

“…I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). I am the Good Shepherd, The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.” John 10:10b, 11 [Amp]

A Good (or Worthy) Shepherd will wisely lead his sheep to the best place to rest safely, a place where there’s food and water and He will faithfully serve His Master. So what is God’s (Jesus’ Master) desire for us?

“Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!” Luke 12:32 [Amp] The Kingdom that God desires to give us is that of authority and power in order to exercise control and to have dominion over any and every situation or circumstance that we EVER WILL face (1 Corinthians 4:20 and Matthew 16:19).

Therefore, the benefits of serving Jesus as Lord are:

· We are kept safe

· We have both power and authority

· We find rest (peace)

· And our every need is met

So, I ask again, if the benefits of serving Jesus as Lord is to live a life of abundance, then do so few Christian enjoy the benefits (or are even aware that there ARE benefits) of serving Jesus as LORD? Well, we find the answer in the part “a” of John 10:10, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy…” [Amp] We are in a spiritual battle,

“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:12 [Amp]

So many mistakenly believe that the “true Christian life” is suppose to be easy and stress free and since there’s no way that someone “like them” could live such a “perfect life”, why even try, this is a lie from the pit of Hell. The Bible tells us that we are more than conquers; we are given armor and a sword, this means that we are going to have someone and/or something to fight. Unfortunately, for a lot of us, in so many, many, many different ways, we are the adversary. We end up fighting with and against ourselves. Yes, Satan is THE enemy, but with “deception” as a key weapon, he tricks many of us into becoming our own worst enemy.

So, knowing this, what do we do on a daily and continuous basis to make these Bible promises real? How do we get them out of the book and into our lives? I’m glad you asked. Meet me in Part 3 of Choosing Jesus as LORD.

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com

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Serving Jesus as Lord is something that you do not have to, but something that you get to do. Meaning that it is a choice that you GET to make, not something that is FORCED upon you (in the same way that salvation is a choice). Our choosing to submit to Jesus as Lord is another way for Him to show His love us.

It is important to understand that Jesus is both Lord and Savior (Acts 2:36). Yet, it’s possible to acknowledge Jesus as Savior (to be born again) and still not serve Him as Lord. (See my previous blog “Is Jesus Lord and Savior?”.) So the real question is, “If we are willing to trust Jesus with our souls for all of eternity, why won’t we trust with our day to day living?” This was Jesus’ question too, “Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord and do not [practice] what I tell you?” Luke 6:46 [Amp]

The Greek word for Lord that Jesus used was Kurios (koo’-ree-os) meaning “supreme in authority”. What Jesus question does is to bring us face to face with one of Satan’s greatest lies, “That God doesn’t have our best interest at heart. That no one can or will take better care of us than we will do for ourselves.” Who or what are we really serving as Lord? Who or what are you really trusting? Who or what are you placing your faith in?

Most of us want to have our cake and to eat it to. We want to cover our bases as far as the afterlife is concerned, yet we want to “Do our thang” as the old song goes while we are still here on earth. We want to get into heaven (or to avoid Hell) and we want to have it all today. We want it all NOW, not realizing that this is playing directly into the hands of Satan.

What we have to take into account is that we are in a spiritual war. Unless your mind is renewed, you will always be using logic or psychology to win a spiritual battle. It just won't WORK!!!

“For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4 [Amp] Verse 5 in the King James goes on to say, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God…” Yes, the battle takes place in the mind but Satan’s key weapons are spiritual, mainly, the spirits of fear, doubt and discouragement.

The flesh nature of fallen man will always seek for the most amount of pleasure for the least amount of effort (or responsibility). And most of the time it won’t make any sense at all because we are trying to understand a spiritual issue from a logical point of view.

What the “unrenewed mind” doesn’t have the ability to understand is that Satan gives us the pleasure up front ( in the forms of gratification and/or avoidance) and then we pay for it for an eternity and God’s ways are for us the do the work up front (through obedience and/or preparation) and then reaping an everlasting reward.

What the “unrenewed” mind doesn’t see are the benefits of submitting to Jesus on a daily, if not moment-to-moment basis. And we will get to the benefits of choosing Jesus as Lord in part 2.

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com

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      Have you ever wondered why so few people – Christians – live the abundant life that Jesus came to provide (John 10:10), while far too many other people – Christians – live a life that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. 

            I believe that answer is found in the type and quality of their relationship with Jesus,  “…let the whole house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt and acknowledge assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (the Messiah) --- this Jesus Whom you crucified.” Acts 2:36 [Amp]

            Notice that the passage says “…both Lord and Christ (the Messiah)…”  Many acknowledge and recognize Jesus as Christ, the Messiah or Savior, (they are born again).  They feel very confident in having acquired a first class ticket into heaven; when asked, they are very quick to say, “Yes!!!”, they really do believe that Jesus died for them.  And if ask if He is the Lord of their life, another “Yes!!!”,  answer will come just as fast. 

Okay, if most, if not all, Christians would answer yes to both questions then why do so many of us have a personal tug of war with or against so many things in everyday living.  How many Christians do you know who:  are deep in debt, in an unhappy marriage, if not divorced, hooked on drugs (legal and illegal), have a drinking problem,  have poor, low or no self-esteem or feeling of self worth, are in a physical or emotionally abusive relationship and the list could go on and on and on. 

If Jesus came that, we could have life and have it more abundantly, why is it that so many Christians seem to be no better off, if not worse, after they have confessed that Jesus is Lord and Savior?  

 Hmmm...I submit to you that something is amiss, and I believe that that something an understanding of what it means to serve Jesus as Lord.

Let’s look at what Jesus had to say about it.

            “Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?” Luke 6:46 [Amp]

He goes on to say that, the person who obeys Him is someone who will still be standing after the storms of life raging around him have ended.  Make no mistake about it; the storms of life WILL come, the sun shines on the just and the unjust, the real question is how will you handle the trials, tests and temptations that are a guaranteed part of life?    

God gives us somewhat of an open book test with a question that He asks in Deuteronomy 30:19, 20, [KJV] “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore Choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:  That thou mayest love the LORD they God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto they fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give them.” 

Understand that Jesus came to be not only as our Savior (to reconnect us  with our Heavenly Father) but, to ALSO be, our Lord, to guide us in living a victorious life while on this planet called earth.

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