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| Take Every Thought Captive |
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Once again Max hits the nail on the head for me! I so enjoy this man's writings. This one is no exception. We truly are NOT a victim of our thoughts church!
Take Every Thought Captiveby Max Lucado Today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions.
Today’s jealousy is tomorrow’s temper tantrum.
Today’s bigotry is tomorrow’s hate crime.
Today’s anger is tomorrow’s abuse.
Today’s lust is tomorrow’s adultery.
Today’s greed is tomorrow’s embezzlement.
Today’s guilt is tomorrow’s fear. Could that be why Paul writes, “Love … keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5 NIV)?
Some folks don’t know we have an option.
Paul says we do: “We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
Do you hear some battlefield jargon in that passage—“capture every thought,” “make it give up” and “obey Christ”? You get the impression that we are the soldiers and the thoughts are the enemies.
It was for Jesus. Remember the thoughts that came his way courtesy of the mouth of Peter? Jesus had just prophesied his death, burial, and resurrection, but Peter couldn’t bear the thought of it. “Peter took Jesus aside and told him not to talk like that.… Jesus said to Peter, ‘Go away from me, Satan! You are not helping me! You don’t care about the things of God, but only about the things people think are important’” (Matt. 16:22–23).
See the decisiveness of Jesus?
What if you did that? What if you took every thought captive? What if you took the counsel of Solomon: “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Prov. 4:23).
You are not a victim of your thoughts. You have a vote. You have a voice. You can exercise thought prevention. You can also exercise thought permission.
Change the thoughts, and you change the person. If today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions, what happens when we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s love? Will standing beneath the downpour of his grace change the way we feel about others?
Paul says absolutely! It’s not enough to keep the bad stuff out. We’ve got to let the good stuff in. It’s not enough to keep no list of wrongs. We have to cultivate a list of blessings. The same verb Paul uses for keeps in the phrase “keeps no list of wrongs” is used for think in Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (RSV). Thinking conveys the idea of pondering—studying and focusing, allowing what is viewed to have an impact on us.
Rather than store up the sour, store up the sweet.
From
A Love Worth Giving
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado
NOW IN PAPERBACK
With a Reader's Guide focusing on:
1. Love Remembered: gleans crucial quotes from the chapter and invites you to reexamine them by answering some probing questions.
2. Love Deepened: uses parallel Scriptures to reinforce and clarify the thrust of the chapter.
3. Love Given: application questions to help you integrate the main focus of each chapter into your life of faith. |
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| To add a comment to "Take Every Thought Captive" |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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| Great blog Val! |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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love it
and when thoughts go and we not stop it and we are in trouble for not stopping it or change the attitude of it andturn it to think of God and his loving us so much..we get corrected oneway or other.. I know been there done that.. Thanks Val..a good reminder at all times.. |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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Val... I read this this morning... emailed straight to my inbox haha.
thanks so much for the link. God bless you sis. =0) |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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Thanks for the comments my friends.
Robin...I get these devotionals all the time. On the list! I highly recommend everyone do the same. I love Max! |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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| This is yet another good blog! |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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| he has crossed into some bad stuff and embraced eastern reigion meditations. I dont bother with him anymore, nor reccomend him |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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| Take every thought captive so your thoughts don't take you captive...there really is something there...Love ya Val...I'm gonna go get this for myself...LOL!! |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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Thank you Patti, Cella and Suga...I appreciate you all!
Grace alone:
What Max brings from the Word of God is very encouraging to me! I re-post his devotionals in this venue and recommend them to others because of that. He uses the Word of God...He does not twist the Word of God and Nothing...and I repeat...NOTHING that is in this blog contradicts God's Word. Now, my Blog was about Taking your Thoughts Captive. If you have a disagreement about what is written concerning that...then you can write something about that, doing so in a Christ like and loving manner. That is what this site is about. Encouraging others...not degrading the body. I found your comment quite offensive. You are entitled to your opinion...but please do so on your own profile please. Thank you! |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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| Love hopes all things, believes all things, is patient, kind, not puffed up and has so many good attributes that I know I fall short personally ,but I am a new believer and on fire for Jesus and know the power of his Word and He hears me. Thank you for the encouragement. God bless and prosper you in your faith , health, realtionships, and finances in Jesus name. |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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| Thank you Jeff...you are a blessing! |
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| August 09, 2008 |
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| loved it jeff way too much ur always a blessing to me always |
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| August 10, 2008 |
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I enjoyed the blog. Thank you for posting it. For me this is an area I must always be aware of and on top of. It is too easy to see "the glass half empty". |
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| August 18, 2008 |
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So true! It has taken me a while to learn this -- actually, it's a regular thing. Modes of thinking I have aren't always apparent to me, even when I've changed other modes for good, or rather as you said, taken them captive. In fact, part of a worship chorus recently stood out to me: "Take my intellect and use it ... as you choose." (I paraphrased it because I'm not sure of the whole line, but that's the basic.) Your blog entry's message certainly fits in with this. 12:1 For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies as a living offering, holy, pleasing to God, which is the worship it is right for you to give him. 12:2 And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God. |
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| August 18, 2008 |
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| I like Max! Love the "You are not a victim of your thoughts" |
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| August 20, 2008 |
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Good, good word Val!
"Rather than store up the sour, store up the sweet."
Our heart will be softened to that which we focus on. Likewise, it will become hardened to that which we ignore!
For if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature! Sour things have passed away and all things have become Sweet!- My paraphrase.
Love you Val. |
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| August 22, 2008 |
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| This is critical to the health of the believer. Our thoughts become actions. That is why we have to cast every though down that exalts against itself against Christ. Good teaching! Love it! |
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