Saturday, January 2, 2016

Meditate on These Things


Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

This verse is probably the original proclamation of positive thinking. Positive thinking is not a religion, but a bi-produce knowing our Almighty Creator Father God and His gospel plan revealed in His Holy Word. Having “the eternal perspective” of whose we are and where we will spend eternity produces the “count your blessings “ attitude that shines beyond any and all circumstances in life. When we grasp and know that when you “go down”, you “go up”, then that naturally causes us to keep a “light hand” on the things of this world, because God is ultimately in control. In Philippians 4:8, we certainly find the things that everyone desires. If we fill our hearts, minds and souls with the truth, the noble, the just, the pure, the lovely, the good, the virtuous and the praiseworthy as defined by and aligned with the Lord God, then we will be ennobled and uplifted in positive thinking.   

2 Corinthians 4:13-18 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

     
I read that one of the greatest tragedies in our time is that because of their separation from God, our culture fills our minds with the opposite of all these wonderful godly, stating that self-based existentialism, focusing on people, places and things instead of God, is the key to the “abundant life”, but demonstrate the unjust, the unfair, the ungodly, the unkind, the deceiving lies, the insensitive, the obscene, and the ghastly. With all the godless vile vices pouring out of our television sets, movie screens, radio, books and magazines of today, our society is not liberated enlightened or open-minded, but declines into depravity. My dad has completely stopped going to the movie theater because he was having to walk out of just about every movie due to filthy language and disgusting godless living in the films. Rejection of God is the trademark of the sinful nature of the fleshly desires, the godless world system and the devil. God sets the standards by which this world is to operate and live, yet gives all the freedom to accept or reject Him and them with consequences for our decisions, reserved for judgment. Thus, the good and the bad, the light and darkness, the wheat and the tares coexist for now. Justice is not in this “fallen” world yet.

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

It is true that the God-rejecting gutter is real. But roses are just as real. The godless lawlessness of the unholy trinity’s gutter is neither the only reality, nor the highest reality. Media producers are constantly saying that they only reflect reality, but life is more than the gutter. Set your thoughts on things above. Go to a Bible-believing church to nurture your faith and personal relationship with God – your Maker in prayer, worship and fellowship with the body of Christ. Surround yourself with whatever is lovely in the eyes of the Lord and you will be lovely too. God is the source of all that is good and true and lovely. And our Lord Jesus chest is the altogether Lovely One.


In Christ, Brian        

No comments: