“Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.“
– Isaiah 26:2-4
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful mane is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace…”
– Romans 8:5-6
The human mind is an astonishing masterpiece of chemical, electrical, and biological engineering. There are about 600 miles of neurons in a single human brain! Some of the signals in the brain travel over 260 miles per hour! The typical mind contains approximately 1 quadrillion synapses—that’s twelve zeros! That’s about half-a-billion per cubic millimeter. “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14) There is much, much more that could be said about your mind! Interestingly, there is a spiritual component to it and God asks us to love him with all of it. “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Luke 10:27)”
There is so much more that could be said about the “wonderful” creation that is our mind that it is far out of the scope of a short article like this one. However, one profound spiritual truth is that the word of God “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) In fact, we are called to “…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) Jesus himself reacts to our state of mind and to our “thought-life.” Jesus knowing the minds of those around him and confronting them is recorded in Matthew 9:4 — “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?” Jesus also explains that our hearts are the source of “evil thoughts” (Matthew 15:19) on our minds. The scriptures make it clear that we can actually have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and that this is given by the Holy Spirit, “…not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (1 Corinthians 2:13)
It has been both incredible and refreshing to witness God growing his family in Phoenix this year! It has been a powerful harvest, and it has been to our Father’s glory. (John 15:8). The best attitude to purify the heart and protect the mind is one of gratitude. As I like to put it, “great” plus “attitude” equals “gratitude!” The Word of God promises that a thankful heart will bring peace to the mind and even guards it! “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7). It is with this in mind several recently baptized disciples have written a note of gratitude in regards to becoming disciples! Prayerfully their hearts will encourage all of ours to remember the grace, patience, love and power of our God and put the right things “on our minds!”
Our new sister in the faith, Telma Canjuca, writes:
“On October 1st an amazing thing happened in my life this year, I was finally able to make Jesus the Lord of my life. Becoming a disciple was not easy, it is human nature to get attached to so many things in the world that really keep us from giving all of our heart to God. Because my love for God, and the desire for a true relationship with Him were bigger than any other thing in the world, I became a disciple, and I got born to a new life, a life with Jesus. For the first time in my life I understood what it is to give away myself to God, and if it was not for His scriptures and to the wonderful women who studied the bible with me, I would not be able to do it alone. I’m very grateful for being a disciple, Jesus died for my sins, so that I could be set free, and that is how God loves, He sacrificed Himself for us, and so I died to my old life be-cause I know that Jesus death was not in vein, Jesus died for me.”
Our brother Brice Williams:
“I am thankful for the kingdom because for the first time in my life I have real friendships and a real family. Back in the world I had friendships, but they faded. I had family, but it felt half hearted. The bond two people have in knowing they have the same spiritual Father is stronger than blood because it’s a relationship intentionally formed out of love. This love cannot be broken because it is a true love based on kindness, patience, hope and truth.”
Brittany George writes:
“I’m most thankful for becoming a disciple because, it gives me a chance to build a relationship with God. It also shows how merciful God is. Making this decision has been one of the greatest decisions I could ever make in life. It has taught me a lot about myself and how powerful God really is.”
King Burke shares:
“I am thankful for becoming a disciple because of the price God paid for me so that I would have a purpose in my life and Hope for a new day. I am thankful for the peace in my heart, and he growing Joy I experience each day I wake up with breath in my lungs. I am thankful for the Kingdom of God. I thankful for the brothers and sister who constantly challenge me to strive for excellence in all I do. I am thankful for Jesus Christ who died for me while I was in sin.”
Natalie Burdick writes:
“I’m am grateful to be a disciple for so many reasons, but the biggest is that I am surrounded by such a loving family who all share the same vision and beliefs that I do! In becoming a disciple, I was shown the truth and brought out if the darkness and into the light, and for that I am forever grateful to God. Not only was I saved and given a second chance at life, God has given me this amazing Kingdom, which help me live more righteously as well love and accept me for me. I am so thankful, as well as honored, to be apart of this family that shares the vision of living by the word and evangelizing the world!”
To God be the glory for these grateful disciples and all the others that our God has brought to himself and grown his church with!
