Philippians 4:8 - Thoughts for the New Year.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT) Fix your thoughts on
what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure,
and lovely, and admirable. Think about things
that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 (MSG) Summing it all up,
friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds
and meditating on things true, noble, reputable,
authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the
worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to
praise, not things to curse.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Winning the Battle of the Mind
In the movie Kung Fu Panda 3, Master
Shifu makes this statement: Before the battle
of the fist comes the battle of the mind.
How true. The spiritual battle were in
starts with the mind. Its command central. We
are the air traffic controllers of our minds.
Just as an air traffic controller decides what
plane flies where at what altitude, we decide what
thoughts will come into our minds.
The way were thinking will determine
the way well be living. We have to start with
the thoughts that come into our minds and be
very careful about what we let in.
As the old adage says, You cant
stop a bird from flying over your head, but you
can stop it from building a nest in your
hair. In other words, we cant stop whatever
random, evil, or strange thoughts that come knocking
on the door of our imaginations, but we dont
have to invite them in for lunch.
I love what the apostle Paul wrote in
Philippians 4: Fix your thoughts on what is true, and
honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and
admirable. Think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise (verse 8 NLT).
The Message puts it this way: Summing
it all up, friends, Id say youll do best
by filling your minds and meditating on things
true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling,
gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful,
not the ugly; things to praise, not things to
curse.
When those thoughts of fear or worry come
to you at three oclock in the morning, run
them through the grid of Philippians 4:8. Say,
This is not from God. This isnt true, and it
isnt helpful. I reject this thought, and Im
replacing it with another thought from Scripture.
That is how you win the battle of the
mind. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20191210-0849.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF
JESUS
1st of 28: Divine Dining:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4
4th of 28: Cared For:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXyJVdcCds
5th of 28: Saved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX45kGRe1HI
6th of 28: You Can Change:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0gkvK18fo
7th of 28: Reprogramming Our Brains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov36f_RapXc
8th of 28 Our Holy Father:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XabXLEXsxbY
9th of 28 Gifts of Service:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtuGZviodkA
10th of 28 The Holy Spirit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in89XVs4cGo
11th of 28 The Law of God:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Q601HjogI
12th of 28 The Sabbath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sakgnKoTzZI
13th of 28 The Church:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkFw2XsTW-w
14th of 28 The Gift of Prophecy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiO2VC09NPI
15th of 28 Stewardship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_lNLAataw
16th of 28 Marriage and the Family:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EybxvMQ0K7E
17th of 28 The Remnant and Its Mission:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK6tix2K2qA
18th of 28 Christian Behavior:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecVGsQfAo7Q
Live ongoing series in progress.
