April 10, 2021: SOAP #4146 (mostly from #2685—I believe God wants this repeated!):  1Samuel 8-10; 2Corinthians 10

SCRIPTURE:  2Corinthianas (NIV) 10:3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

OBSERVATION: Often the toughest strongholds to overcome are the arguments and pretenses in the mind.   If not careful, a person can become a captive of thought processes that hurt them.  Thoughts must be taken “captive.” The mind can become a battlefield.

On the battlefield facing Goliath (1Samuel 17), the Israelites were thinking, “How BIG Goliath looked compared to themselves!”  David was thinking: “How small Goliath looked compared to God!”  David’s part was the sling and the rock.  God’s part was the results.

APPLICATION: The biggest battle I will fight today will be in my mind. I am not a mind, but I have a mind. I must take control of my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about something, but I can start thinking about something else. The strategy is “thought replacement.” I must replace thoughts about my big problem with thoughts about my big God! The Bible never tells me how to feel, but often tells me how to think.  As I listen to the Holy Spirit, He brings things to my mind for me to consider. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank you for the “helmet of salvation.” Being your child, and having your Holy Spirit sharing this life with me makes a BIG difference in how I think! Amen  

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!