Healing of the Mind

 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:11 NKJV

God is always thinking about you, every minute of every day and every night. His thoughts are loving because God is love. He simply loves you all the time.

You can calm your nerves by saying this to yourself often, out loud or in your mental self talk.

“God is always thinking about me, every minute of every day and every night. His thoughts are loving because God is love. He simply loves me all the time.”

But isn’t it a bit strange to talk to yourself? 

That is a complete misunderstanding of the human mind. We all think all the time. Sometimes we think clearly or even obsessively in words, but often there is a quiet murmur going on subconsciously. If we decide to listen to our own thoughts, this becomes clear.

If you feel worried or angry or afraid, there are thoughts going on in your head. Sometimes these thoughts take the form of words but often they are visual images. Sometimes our brain talks and sometimes our brain sees or imagines things.

Before he created the world, he saw what he was creating in his mind. Then he spoke and everything came into being. Everything includes you and me.

How can you learn to think positively, to think thoughts of faith, hope and love?

Reading and meditating on bible texts is a very good way. God’s thoughts are better than our thoughts.

But reciting a whole verse or a whole sentence can sometimes distract you from the business of daily living, although there are times when we must lay aside our daily activity and focus on God and his words.

Memorising and reciting Bible texts can heal your mind, but in the midst of daily activities we need to simplify biblical thoughts. Keep it short and simple.

God is thinking about me.
God loves me.
God has the answer to this.
Patience and kindness.
Mercy and peace.
Keep hoping.

When someone upsets you, “God loves (him or her).”

In the Bible, God tells us to remember his blessings.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Ps 103:2 NKJV

If we don't want to forget the blessings of God, we need to think about them deliberately, to remember good things we have experienced, to see again in our minds what God has done, to thank Him in words and tell other people about them.

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Ps 9:1 NIV

To make this work, we must be constantly reminding ourselves of God’s goodness.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom 12:2 NIV

Seeking and Finding God

 In some religions, the infinite God is so remote, that He becomes an abstraction, or a frightening judge.

Human nature longs for a personal spiritual experience. We long for relationships, not only at a physical and emotional level but also spiritually, so religion leads us to venerate angels, saints, gods, goddesses or to submit unconditionally to spirit guides, gurus, rabbis, priests or pastors.

But the God of the Bible is infinitely great but also intensely personal. He makes Himself small, so we can know Him and love Him personally.

Perhaps you are not sure if you believe in God, or you are confused about what God might be like.

Try talking to God personally. You have nothing to lose.

You can say, as some atheists or agnostics have done. “God, if you are real, please let me find you.”

In the bible, many Jews were confused about religion. Many prayed to the gods of other nations. The results were terrible.

But God spoke to the Prophet Jeremiah.

Call to me, and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jer 33:3 NRSVue

You can talk to God and if you seek him with all your heart, you will find him.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jer 29:11–13 NKJV

Mission in Dark Places

 How did Jesus reach people?

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” Matthew 11:19 ESV

During His earthly life Jesus of Nazareth was known as a friend of sinners. The strictest observers of the Word of God accused Him breaking God’s law by hanging around with bad people. Were they right?

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:9-11 (ESV)

There are many Christian ministers today who will organise missions and outreaches. Some will invite drug addicts and prostitutes to come to Christian meetings. Why? To preach the gospel and save sinners.

But Jesus went a step further, a very big step further. He accepted invitations to eat and drink with the worst sinners in their own homes. If a notorious gangland boss invited Jesus to a party with underworld people, would Jesus go?

In the New Testament, we read that Jesus not only preached to sinners. He went to their homes and their dinner parties.

Does that mean that Jesus was always available for every invitation from any crook in town? No. King Herod was impressed by the stories of the miracles of Jesus and he wanted to see this new “celebrity” but Jesus avoided him. Luke 9:9 (NKJV)

There are some major Christian leaders today who are campaigning against human trafficking for sex slavery. They are actually going to pickup bars and houses of prostitution to make friendly contact with prostitutes and even sometimes with pimps. 

There are many hard core sinners and oppressed victims who cannot be reached by preaching but only by believers who dare to do what Jesus did, seek out the lost sheep in the dark places and reach them with genuine friendliness.

In one American city an English missionary found that many of the young prostitutes were from Christian homes. After sharing the love of Jesus with them, many turned to God, perhaps for the first time, and many returned to their families.

I know Christian women in Germany who visited a brothel every week. Through their ministry of friendship, victims of human trafficking were set free and some prostitutes became Christians.

But isn’t it dangerous to mix with sinners?

Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NKJV)

I believe this is one reason that Jesus sent out His disciples TWO BY TWO.

The Apostle Paul was single himself but he usually went on a mission with at least one partner in ministry. At various times these included Barnabas, Timothy, Silas and Luke. With the help of the grace of God, Paul penetrated dark places and planted churches in many previously unreached cities.

But there was one place where Paul’s great spiritual gifts only succeeded in winning a few converts. That was in Athens. In Athens Paul ministered alone and without a partner.

There is a new move amongst the people of God. Many are no longer looking to the priest, pastor or evangelist, the spiritual giant on the pedestal. Many are no longer waiting for the Man of God to move.

Many of us are rediscovering spiritual partnership, personal spiritual experience, spiritual community and teamwork. This is the way hundreds of millions will see that Jesus is alive in His people and many more millions will find God for themselves.

Encounter God Personally

 Many years ago a nurse I knew told me of a very old lady dying in hospital. She was very lonely because she couldn’t understand English. She was Hungarian and she also knew German well. 

I wanted to help her, so I got the permission of the Anglican Chaplain to visit her and read the Bible to her in German, a language I know well.

I visited her every day and read the German Bible to her. She listened intently, although she was demented and her eyes and her mind would wander at times.

Finally, one evening I read her the promise of Jesus to give eternal life to all who believed.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 
and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  John 11:25-26 ESV

Suddenly her eyes stopped wandering and she became clearly focused on the question.

“Yes, I believe!” she answered in a strong clear voice.

I never saw her again because the next day she was dead.

A nurse told me the old lady appeared to be dying six months before but she started reviving. God preserved her life until she could hear the message of life and then He took her to heaven.

There are many people out there ready to believe the message of Jesus but they just need you or me to tell them in a loving way.

This old lady was a Roman Catholic, so she knew about Jesus, heaven and hell and eternal salvation. She just needed to hear a simple clear Bible message.

But there are also people who have heard but are not ready to believe.

Many have been abused or bullied by priests, pastors or religious teachers. Others have seen loved ones torn apart by unhealthy Christian religion.

In recent years bishops, priests, pastors and preachers have been ducking for cover because the scandal has been all over the media. You can tell many people about God, but they will not believe until they encounter God personally. 

Walking Step by Step with Jesus

 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 
and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 
But sexual immorality and impurity of any kind or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. Eph 5:1–3 NRSVue

There are hidden jewels in scripture which can teach us so much wisdom. “Walking in love” is one of them. Life is a step by step experience. Prayer warriors have activated the power of God to change nations. 

Moses exercised an amazing gift of faith to release the miracle working power of God.

But the most powerful intercessors began their journey with a single step. They prayed short simple prayers.

Billy Graham preached to huge crowds but he started his journey with simple prayers and learning to understand simple bible truths.

The Apostle Paul literally walked from one place to another as he evangelised much of the Roman Empire. 
Jesus Himself preached to crowds but he often took time to minister to one person at a time. He also walked from place to place.

Walking in love is a life lived one step at a time, always motivated by the love of God and a sincere desire to bless others.

When I go shopping, I try to share a friendly word with the cashier in the supermarket. If you see someone who needs a little more money to pay, you can pay for that person yourself. 

Life is a journey but it consists of many small steps, many small tasks, many opportunities to help others.

But there is an unfortunate trap when we use this wonderful biblical word carelessly. Christians speak of their life as their Christian Walk. It becomes a religious expression without any meaning. 

I would rather people never used these words unless they are meaningful and used meaningfully.

Walking in love also teaches us to constantly look for ways of making small changes in our lives, constantly making small improvements as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

Many small positive changes make a huge difference. When you trust Jesus to forgive your sins, your faults don't suddenly disappear, but God helps you to learn and improve little by little.

If you are untidy, you can spend a few minutes each day cleaning up some messy clutter.

If you are not a good bible reader, read a little every day. God will help you to improve and read more.

But there are some faults which we cannot deal with little by little. If you steal from shops, you cannot please God but stealing a little less or less often. Just stop it.

The same applies to casual sex or drunk driving. Just stop it.

You have a Calling

 The bible tells us that following Jesus is like running a race but in another place God tells us to walk. No one can run all the time. The strongest runners run a set distance and then stop.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Cor 9:24 NIV

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph 5:1–2 NIV

There are times in life when we need to make an intense effort for a limited time. God calls some of us to fast and pray or to spend a whole night in prayer. An evangelist has to spend time in intense prayer and study before he preaches to a crowd. He may have to preach several nights in a row and pray for many seriously sick people after each sermon. 

But then he needs to take time out from time to time. Jesus Himself told his disciples to withdraw from the crowds and rest for a while to recover their strength. 

When Jesus ministered to crowds in Israel, he walked from town to town. When the Apostle Paul did mission work over a vast area, he also walked and prayed as he walked. 

When the bible tells us to run, we are meant to understand that there are times when we often need to make a concentrated effort for a limited time.

When the bible tells us to walk, we should understand that we need to keep steadily moving forward spiritually and in practical ways, day by day and hour by hour. 

Paul tells each one of us to live like a runner in the Olympic Games, but this raises a question. Only one runner can win the race, so how is it that each Christian can expect to win?

The answer is simple. Each man or woman has a unique calling. If you faithfully carry out the assignments that God has planned for your life, God considers you to be the winner of your individual race. You are not competing against other believers. 

Many Christians fail to reach their God given destiny because they try to compete with other believers. 

There are also very gifted evangelists who fail to reach their potential because they try to do the work of pastors or teachers instead of sticking to their calling to be evangelists. 

Is is also important to understand that there are different stages in life. Sometimes we need to make a concerted effort, like running a race. A good example is the hard work of a mother nursing her baby. She must be available around the clock and the effort is constant and very tiring.

I am now a man approaching my 77th birthday. I need to conserve my energy. At my age I need to walk and rest often and get plenty of sleep, but I can still use my gifts to write and encourage others.

We Need Time Off

 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mk 6:31 NIV

We are under so much pressure, so overwhelmed. That's just how it is in this life.

In the Old Testament, God prescribed many days of rest, but even holy days can put pressure on us.

A world-renowned church leader in the Pentecostal movement had founded a church that simply grew massively and planted a network of missions around the world.

But not everything in his life was okay. His wife was overwhelmed and his marriage fell apart. 

God spoke to the preacher. He needed to have one day of rest per week and rebuild his relationship with his wife. Sunday was not a day of rest for him, and on Saturday he had to prepare everything for Sunday. 

Monday became his day of rest, and his marriage was restored.

Some insist that we must strictly obey the Sabbath commandment to this day, but this is by no means clear in the Holy Scriptures.

Paul and John wrote several epistles to non-Jewish Christians, and I find no mention of the Sabbath commandment in them at all. Theft, murder, lying, idolatry, adultery, and greed are strictly forbidden in these epistles, but there is no mention of the Sabbath commandment. 

Of course, the Sabbath came from God, and the Sabbath remains a great blessing for many Jews and some Christians to this day.
 
But more important than the day is the principle. We need time off, time off for God, time off for family and friends, and time off for relaxation and rest.
 

You can strictly observe the Sabbath but neglect important loving relationships.

About ten years ago, I was very active in a church and attended two services every Sunday, but I had a guilty conscience. I was in church three times a week, but I didn't even visit my elderly father once a week. 

For many Christians, church services and meetings can be anything but restful, although they are intended to be refreshing. You can strictly observe the Sabbath, but never learn to simply relax. 

For some Christians, relaxation is a sin. They are always busy. Doing nothing would be idleness. Sleeping late means being lazy. 

But if you are overwhelmed, traumatised, even exhausted, you need real time off.
 
Otherwise, you could get burned out or even in hospital. Some people think this is shameful, but it is not.

If you need help and rest, you need help and rest.
But shouldn't we expect our help only from God?

Sure, but if our misguided Christian attitude has only continually entangled us in duty and effort, and if we find little support or understanding in the church, then God provides us with other means of help. 

There are Christians who are misled by non-believing therapists, but there are also Christians who find more understanding and help in psychiatry than in the church. 

Thank God for good churches, good pastors, and miraculous healings! 
But I also thank God for good doctors, and good therapists.
 
In God's order, everything has its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: Ecc 3:1 NIV