Phil 4:8-13 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Paul in the use of this word (finally) is directing his instruction to each individual from the least to the greatest. He is singling you and me out with divine instruction on how to control and direct our thinking in the proper channels. We are not to let our minds drift off onto the sun set. Our thoughts need to be controlled and brought into the proper focus in our relationship with our Lord. Many Christians have never been trained to control their thinking and to discipline their thoughts. Some pass this type of discipleship as some hocus pocus or magical meditation. Yet, we are instructed to pray without ceasing, pray to our Heavenly Father, pray for one another, pray for the ministries, pray we do not enter temptation, pray your flight will not be in winter, pray for our nation and our leaders, pray, pray, pray. If we did all the praying we are instructed our mind would not have time to wander in the lands of random thoughts. Rather, every thought would come into the obedience of Christ. Do you realize that your thought process needs some possible overhaul and retuning? Or possibly some form of divine instruction and discipline?
2 Cor 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; Paul is giving divine instruction to exercise the mind, purposely bring it into a place that every thought is controlled and brought into submission by your own WILL. Imaginations are the process of reasoning whereby we use our mental faculty to form conclusions about our lives. It is the process that controls how and why we live. It is through our mind that we have Divine Expression. Divine expression is the process of communication, reasoning and discourse with our Father. Oh, holy brethren rejoice that you hear these words for they will anakainoo,( an ak ah ee no sis, anakaheenosis learn to say it and repeat it daily, NT 342) your mind by refreshing, renewing and renovating your thoughts so you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
In Philippians, Paul is instructing the brethren to the last thing they are to engage their mind. They are not to focus on the persecution, the mundane things of life or even the plight of their state they are in, but they are to direct their full attention to the things above and not below. Finally, brothers eliminate your problems by turning your attention to the following discipline of your thought life. For as a man thinks in his inner most being so he portrays his outer self the manifestation of a son of God. Simply put; For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Prov. 23:7. Therefore, we are instructed by the Apostolic teaching to bring our attention to the discipline of arranging our thoughts to fulfill the word of our God.
the voice
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