Taking every thought captive..

[K2K]

I think it important that I be honest with myself, at least the best I can. The fact is that I am not good enough to get to heaven. So it was that Christ made a way, and that by forgiving me my sins, never leaving me, and treating me as a son. So it is no longer about me having to be good enough but having a relationship with Him. The relationship still doesn't make me good enough but a son is not in the house because he is good enough but because he is family.

That means I handle things a bit differently. Because I am part of the family of God I can talk to my Father the King of kings and that at any time. So it becomes wise of me if I take thoughts to my Father to get advice and wisdom. If I considered myself good enough I might not take my thoughts to my Father the King of kings, but since I don't or at least usually don't I regularly talk to the Lord and I think I should actually take all thoughts captive to Him. I of course don't do that, but realize I should. So I talked to Him throughout the day and I do tend to talk to Him about all sorts of things.

Now it was brought up that Satan and those evil spirits following Him like to tell me that I am not good enough. Of course they are right except that the Lord says I am good enough to Him. Of course their purpose in telling me I am not good enough is meant to bring me down, but being honest with myself it doesn't bring me down because I can just ask the Lord about it. And He has not made it about me being good enough but about my relationship with Him. So I can ask them (the evil spirits) if they have a relationship with Him as their Lord, friend, and Father. They can't tell me Jesus Christ is their Lord. They can understand that I am not righteous because of my righteousness but my relationship with Him because they don't know Him like they should. Yeah, they know about Him but they don't really know Him.

The point is, be honest with yourself. You are not good enough. You need the Lord. And honestly He loves you because He made you not because you are good enough! He is good enough for you, so His mercy and grace have you covered. But if He is covering you mistake aren't you going to appreciate it enough to love Him? If you know you are not good enough, but He covered it, aren't you going to want to seek Him and listen to Him. Aren't you going to know Him better?

What the devil means for evil God turns for our good. That includes those evil spirits telling us we are not good enough. Yeah, they mean it for evil, but God has made that very work of evil the thing that turns you to Him!! It causes you to take your thoughts to Him, doesn't it?

 

[Not me]

I think it important that I be honest with myself, at least the best I can. The fact is that I am not good enough to get to heaven. So it was that Christ made a way, and that by forgiving me my sins, never leaving me, and treating me as a son. So it is no longer about me having to be good enough but having a relationship with Him. The relationship still doesn't make me good enough but a son is not in the house because he is good enough but because he is family.

That means I handle things a bit differently. Because I am part of the family of God I can talk to my Father the King of kings and that at any time. So it becomes wise of me if I take thoughts to my Father to get advice and wisdom. If I considered myself good enough I might not take my thoughts to my Father the King of kings, but since I don't or at least usually don't I regularly talk to the Lord and I think I should actually take all thoughts captive to Him. I of course don't do that, but realize I should. So I talked to Him throughout the day and I do tend to talk to Him about all sorts of things.

Now it was brought up that Satan and those evil spirits following Him like to tell me that I am not good enough. Of course they are right except that the Lord says I am good enough to Him. Of course their purpose in telling me I am not good enough is meant to bring me down, but being honest with myself it doesn't bring me down because I can just ask the Lord about it. And He has not made it about me being good enough but about my relationship with Him. So I can ask them (the evil spirits) if they have a relationship with Him as their Lord, friend, and Father. They can't tell me Jesus Christ is their Lord. They can understand that I am not righteous because of my righteousness but my relationship with Him because they don't know Him like they should. Yeah, they know about Him but they don't really know Him.

The point is, be honest with yourself. You are not good enough. You need the Lord. And honestly He loves you because He made you not because you are good enough! He is good enough for you, so His mercy and grace have you covered. But if He is covering you mistake aren't you going to appreciate it enough to love Him? If you know you are not good enough, but He covered it, aren't you going to want to seek Him and listen to Him. Aren't you going to know Him better?

What the devil means for evil God turns for our good. That includes those evil spirits telling us we are not good enough. Yeah, they mean it for evil, but God has made that very work of evil the thing that turns you to Him!! It causes you to take your thoughts to Him, doesn't it?

In the family of God....Sounds like you are walking before Him in love...Which at every moment, is our reasonable service to Him...For until we do, increase can not come..

Be blessed in your/our, all of our walkings before Him, for the increase of Himself to all those that are His..

For in the family of God is the best-est place to be, Not me

 

[Martyr's Crown]

This is a special way of seeing it. I do have thought about it sometimes, how we are meant to die from our self daily, and how this helps us to not let much affect us.

We will be tested and we do have to be careful with what influences we open up to, and how to discern when something bad comes up against us.

I will pray over this and read over it again later.

 

[Francis Drake]

I think it important that I be honest with myself, at least the best I can. The fact is that I am not good enough to get to heaven. So it was that Christ made a way, and that by forgiving me my sins, never leaving me, and treating me as a son. So it is no longer about me having to be good enough but having a relationship with Him. The relationship still doesn't make me good enough but a son is not in the house because he is good enough but because he is family.

That means I handle things a bit differently. Because I am part of the family of God I can talk to my Father the King of kings and that at any time. So it becomes wise of me if I take thoughts to my Father to get advice and wisdom. If I considered myself good enough I might not take my thoughts to my Father the King of kings, but since I don't or at least usually don't I regularly talk to the Lord and I think I should actually take all thoughts captive to Him. I of course don't do that, but realize I should. So I talked to Him throughout the day and I do tend to talk to Him about all sorts of things.

Now it was brought up that Satan and those evil spirits following Him like to tell me that I am not good enough. Of course they are right except that the Lord says I am good enough to Him. Of course their purpose in telling me I am not good enough is meant to bring me down, but being honest with myself it doesn't bring me down because I can just ask the Lord about it. And He has not made it about me being good enough but about my relationship with Him. So I can ask them (the evil spirits) if they have a relationship with Him as their Lord, friend, and Father. They can't tell me Jesus Christ is their Lord. They can understand that I am not righteous because of my righteousness but my relationship with Him because they don't know Him like they should. Yeah, they know about Him but they don't really know Him.

The point is, be honest with yourself. You are not good enough. You need the Lord. And honestly He loves you because He made you not because you are good enough! He is good enough for you, so His mercy and grace have you covered. But if He is covering you mistake aren't you going to appreciate it enough to love Him? If you know you are not good enough, but He covered it, aren't you going to want to seek Him and listen to Him. Aren't you going to know Him better?

What the devil means for evil God turns for our good. That includes those evil spirits telling us we are not good enough. Yeah, they mean it for evil, but God has made that very work of evil the thing that turns you to Him!! It causes you to take your thoughts to Him, doesn't it?

Back in my days as a young and relatively immature believer, I was regularly tormented with guilt over some sin issues from before I got saved.
Every time the issues came to mind, it made me feel really unclean and I would plead with God for forgiveness. This went on for a real long time, Satan prodding me with guilt, me feeling terrible, and me wringing my hands and whining before God.
Then one day I realised it wasn't my memories, but demons that were goading me in my memories. They were the ones constantly bringing them to mind.

Additionally, I realised that every time I pleaded with God for forgiveness again, I was effectively declaring that He hadn't really forgiven me the first time.

The very next time the goading and guilt hit me, I simply thanked God that my sin was already dealt with on the cross, I was already forgiven, and that was the end of the matter. Needless to say, the guilt fled also.

But what was astonishing was that all the goading of thoughts and the guilt completely disappeared from my life. There was no remembrance of the issues that caused it.
Then one day, a year or two later, I came across some memorabilia related to the issues. I then realised how much I had been set free, in the intervening years where there had been constant torment there was now a blank sheet.
The demons obviously realised their goading was counterproductive as it just drove me closer to Jesus.

 

[Not me]

This is a special way of seeing it. I do have thought about it sometimes, how we are meant to die from our self daily, and how this helps us to not let much affect us.

We will be tested and we do have to be careful with what influences we open up to, and how to discern when something bad comes up against us.

I will pray over this and read over it again later.

Absolutely...Please do pray about it, for the last thing I want is to write something that is not from the Christ that dwells in me...For leading another stray in my book would be a gravest sin...But I think if you do ask God about it, you will be most blessed. For our deaths in Christ is the very foundation of our salvation in Christ..The believer that sees this sees the freedom that Christ set us free for..For all things come from God through faith in what Christ did for us on the cross..And what was that? He took us to death with Him thereby freeing us from us..It is the heart that sees and embraces this truth that can walk in this newness of life by faith we read about in scripture...

Will be standing with you before God that He might give confirmation or not depending on what truth and the life that comes from above truly and really are....

A fellow follower of Christ Jesus, Not me

 

[Not me]

Back in my days as a young and relatively immature believer, I was regularly tormented with guilt over some sin issues from before I got saved.
Every time the issues came to mind, it made me feel really unclean and I would plead with God for forgiveness. This went on for a real long time, Satan prodding me with guilt, me feeling terrible, and me wringing my hands and whining before God.
Then one day I realised it wasn't my memories, but demons that were goading me in my memories. They were the ones constantly bringing them to mind.

Additionally, I realised that every time I pleaded with God for forgiveness again, I was effectively declaring that He hadn't really forgiven me the first time.

The very next time the goading and guilt hit me, I simply thanked God that my sin was already dealt with on the cross, I was already forgiven, and that was the end of the matter. Needless to say, the guilt fled also.

But what was astonishing was that all the goading of thoughts and the guilt completely disappeared from my life. There was no remembrance of the issues that caused it.
Then one day, a year or two later, I came across some memorabilia related to the issues. I then realised how much I had been set free, in the intervening years where there had been constant torment there was now a blank sheet.
The demons obviously realised their goading was counterproductive as it just drove me closer to Jesus.

This blessed me so and put a smile on my face..Thanks for the testimony and sharing a bit of your walk with God with us..

Thanks again and may God blesses you again and again with Himself..

A fellow believer, Not me

 

[K2K]

Back in my days as a young and relatively immature believer, I was regularly tormented with guilt over some sin issues from before I got saved.
Every time the issues came to mind, it made me feel really unclean and I would plead with God for forgiveness. This went on for a real long time, Satan prodding me with guilt, me feeling terrible, and me wringing my hands and whining before God.
Then one day I realised it wasn't my memories, but demons that were goading me in my memories. They were the ones constantly bringing them to mind.

Additionally, I realised that every time I pleaded with God for forgiveness again, I was effectively declaring that He hadn't really forgiven me the first time.

The very next time the goading and guilt hit me, I simply thanked God that my sin was already dealt with on the cross, I was already forgiven, and that was the end of the matter. Needless to say, the guilt fled also.

But what was astonishing was that all the goading of thoughts and the guilt completely disappeared from my life. There was no remembrance of the issues that caused it.
Then one day, a year or two later, I came across some memorabilia related to the issues. I then realised how much I had been set free, in the intervening years where there had been constant torment there was now a blank sheet.
The demons obviously realised their goading was counterproductive as it just drove me closer to Jesus.

I love the above post. Evil wants to spread guilt around!

So what is the best way to stop the enemy from making us feel guilty?

Jesus is the answer!

That is to say, take those thoughts captive to Him and listen to what He personally tell you!!!!

I can't tell you exactly what He will tell you, but I can tell you by personal experience that He knows what to tell you personally!! If I could just get them message across!

I worked in a Christian healing ministry for five years, and what I primarily did is get Christian talking to Jesus Christ and listening for His words to Him!! Certainly we sent up prayers for them, but the main thing that works for hurting Christians is getting them to listen to HIM!

From experience I have seen that He like telling us that He loves us!! He can do it in innumerable ways, but He loves saying 'I love you". Hearing just that from God will help you with guilt that comes from the enemy! You don't have to be perfect! He still loves you! He still went to the cross and still forgave you!

But just trying to tell yourself that He loves you doesn't come close to actually hearing Him tell you He loves you!!!!

Have we not read that faith comes from hearing Him??

So take those thoughts to Jesus Christ and listen to what He has to say to you!

And please note that in the OP we read the excellent advice to not only take things like guilt and depression to Him, but also take "ALL THOUGHTS" captive to Him! Because He is great even in the areas of your life you don't think you have issues in.

Are you good at what He asks you to do. You can be better if you take all thoughts captive to Him. So I honestly tell you that while working in that healing ministry He asked me to work in; I tried to take all thought captive to Him there also. And when I asked Him why He had me in that ministry, because I didn't think I was all that good at it, He told me over and over again that it was because I listened to Him!

So if you want to more things for the Lord, listen to Him more - because it is not about your abilities but about your personal relationship with HIM!

 

[Francis Drake]

I love the above post. Evil wants to spread guilt around!

So what is the best way to stop the enemy from making us feel guilty?

Jesus is the answer!

That is to say, take those thoughts captive to Him and listen to what He personally tell you!!!!

I can't tell you exactly what He will tell you, but I can tell you by personal experience that He knows what to tell you personally!! If I could just get them message across!

I worked in a Christian healing ministry for five years, and what I primarily did is get Christian talking to Jesus Christ and listening for His words to Him!! Certainly we sent up prayers for them, but the main thing that works for hurting Christians is getting them to listen to HIM!

From experience I have seen that He like telling us that He loves us!! He can do it in innumerable ways, but He loves saying 'I love you". Hearing just that from God will help you with guilt that comes from the enemy! You don't have to be perfect! He still loves you! He still went to the cross and still forgave you!

But just trying to tell yourself that He loves you doesn't come close to actually hearing Him tell you He loves you!!!!

Have we not read that faith comes from hearing Him??

So take those thoughts to Jesus Christ and listen to what He has to say to you!

And please note that in the OP we read the excellent advice to not only take things like guilt and depression to Him, but also take "ALL THOUGHTS" captive to Him! Because He is great even in the areas of your life you don't think you have issues in.

Are you good at what He asks you to do. You can be better if you take all thoughts captive to Him. So I honestly tell you that while working in that healing ministry He asked me to work in; I tried to take all thought captive to Him there also. And when I asked Him why He had me in that ministry, because I didn't think I was all that good at it, He told me over and over again that it was because I listened to Him!

So if you want to more things for the Lord, listen to Him more - because it is not about your abilities but about your personal relationship with HIM!

Believing Jesus loves you is one of the hardest things for Christians to grasp.

Countless worship songs contain the words, "I love you Lord". That's great, but how many singers truly believe the reverse, that the Lord loves them?

Some years ago, I started contemplating God "the father". Most would understand that as a theological concept, God is obviously our Father.
I have an earthly father, long dead now, but when I was little, he was my daddy, because that's what I called him. Other people knew him as my father, but only I and my brother could call him daddy. As we grew out of childhood, Daddy turned into Dad.

But Jesus says that unless we humble ourselves as a little child, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven, God's kingdom, our father's Heavenly home. And interestingly, what did Jesus called His Father, but Abba, which means Daddy!

So here's my first challenge.
Dare you address your heavenly father as Daddy, DaddyGod!
Does that thought frighten you? Is He not your Daddy as he was Jesus's Daddy?

Although my wife and I refer to the Lord by many titles, daddy is our closest and most intimate, especially last thing at night.

Here's my second challenge-
About 6 years ago, I laid a challenge before a small home group, could they truly say to God, "I know that you love me."
This group who regularly sang, "I love you Lord", all clammed up! They just couldn't do it.

The problem of singing to God words like "I love you Lord" is that it keeps you in a power position.
You are the donator of that love, it puts you in power and control.
But the moment you say, "I know you love me Lord", you completely surrender that power and control and turn into the weaker vessel, the receiver of love.
Only then can your heavenly Father take his place as daddy!

After we got home that evening, one of the ladies in that group phoned in tears. It was her home we met in and when we all left, it had taken the most almighty struggle for her to say out loud to the Lord, "I know you love me". But it was a massive breakthrough for her.

She was in her 70s and had grown up fully expecting God to whack her across the head every time she spoke.

 

[Not me]

but the main thing that works for hurting Christians is getting them to listen to HIM!

This in my heart is the greatest thing/help one Christian can give to another... Directing them to their own personal relationship with Christ...For He is the Healer, He is the Helper, He is the Savior...So a going to Him is the only thing that will truly help, for He is the one that knows and sees what the heart truly needs.. So directing one to this One and away from themselves and what and how their mind might think about this or that....This is the love of Christ being showed from one to another...

Be blessed as you continue to show the love of Christ to the hurting and hungry hearts, Not me

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

This in my heart is the greatest thing/help one Christian can give to another... Directing them to their own personal relationship with Christ...For He is the Healer, He is the Helper, He is the Savior...So a going to Him is the only thing that will truly help, for He is the one that knows and sees what the heart truly needs.. So directing one to this One and away from themselves and what and how their mind might think about this or that....This is the love of Christ being showed from one to another...

Be blessed as you continue to show the love of Christ to the hurting and hungry hearts, Not me

Amen. Relationship with the Lord and listening to Him in obedience as He was obedient to the Father Hebrews 5:8-9 in His way of looking at the Sabbath, (doing that which is best and helpful for mankind while resting in Him) His way of bringing thoughts to align rightly, ( lust of the mind the same as acting on it ) and His way of reasonable service. Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:17-24

 

[Not me]

Amen. Relationship with the Lord and listening to Him in obedience as He was obedient to the Father Hebrews 5:8-9 in His way of looking at the Sabbath, (doing that which is best and helpful for mankind while resting in Him) His way of bringing thoughts to align rightly, ( lust of the mind the same as acting on it ) and His way of reasonable service. Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:17-24

That it would be true of us....

As scripture says; “That He might become more and we less”...

A growing in this relationship with Him on a daily basis....That today I/we might know Him a little more than yesterday and tomorrow more still....Be blessed in the growing of this relationship.....

A fellow servant of His, Not me

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

God provides all needs for those in service to Him and answers all prayers for those who seek, for they will find. The sequence of giving, seeking, and finding is seen in nature.
God feeds the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field. However, He doesn't spread out their food each day, but rather provides it in a way that they must seek it out. That's their daily work.
God's delight is to demonstrate His love and power to those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him and who seek to find the good gifts He gives to them. As surely as He loves us He also demands our obedience, as the true Father that He is.
We are not just reapers but also sowers so with that in mind
Hosea 10:12
Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

Be blessed in all good things too!

 

[faroukfarouk]

That it would be true of us....

As scripture says; “That He might become more and we less”...

A growing in this relationship with Him on a daily basis....That today I/we might know Him a little more than yesterday and tomorrow more still....Be blessed in the growing of this relationship.....

A fellow servant of His, Not me

Philippians 4.8 comes to mind...

 

[K2K]

This in my heart is the greatest thing/help one Christian can give to another... Directing them to their own personal relationship with Christ...For He is the Healer, He is the Helper, He is the Savior...So a going to Him is the only thing that will truly help, for He is the one ...

YES - That is the message we have - or should I say He is the message we have!

If we truly realize and thus believe that we are people and He is God, then truly the best thing we can do for others is to point them to Jesus Christ!

Now some people say that but really mean that others should come to them. I don't mean that. I mean that He is indeed there for people. They can indeed get to know Him personally.

I say that because I know this One, who is my Lord, and He is incredible. He is also weird, by my thinking. Yet that is because He doesn't think like me. I can give tons of testimonies and tell others lots of things that He has told me. We talk everyday. He is the living and active Word of God, who knows our thoughts. All things were created through Him. He tells me He loves me, which is absolutely incredible. I have my problems, like every other person. And He tells me lots of things. He is willing to talk to me about all my thoughts! So I/we obviously should take all thoughts to Him and get God's thoughts on them.

If a person truly believes Jesus Christ our Lord is there, how could they at least not want to take every thought captive to Him, even if they don't actually get around to taking every thought captive to Him!

And so, how can a person who truly believes that He is there and who has indeed found Him and know Him as their Lord not also want that all should come to know Him?