A Pinball Machine?

Warriors Arise: July 9th, 2020

Yesterday's prayer strategy has really been running through my mind and I am led to spend a little more time developing each aspect of what Jesus said to His disciples. The first point of what Jesus told His disciples is from John 20:21 "Peace to you!" - Live in peace, keep your mind from vain imagination, keep your heart from being anxious.

Application is important for something to become a way of life. Understanding isn't enough. Understanding without application leads us to becoming one who is puffed up with knowledge.

Most of us know what is right and what is wrong. Just because we know what is right doesn't mean we always chose to do what is right. We make choices based on what we love. When we love God we will choose what is right. When we love ourselves we choose what is best for us in the situation.

When do people excuse a lie? When it benefits them personally. The only thing that keeps us honest is not the knowledge of right and wrong but who we love. If we love God then we will choose to do the right thing. If we love ourselves then we will lie to benefit ourselves. It take more than knowledge to do what is right, it takes love.

1 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV) ...We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.

One puffed up with knowledge tends to lack the importance of love. It isn't about what you know; it is about how you choose to love. Love is a choice. If it isn't a choice then it isn't love. Love cannot be forced it has to be chosen.

• When Jesus chose to come to earth, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus chose to obey His parents at age 12, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus chose to listen when His mother wanted Him to work a miracle at the wedding, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus chose to stay up all night and pray, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus tried to get off by Himself to grieve over John the Baptist's death, but people followed Him and He ministered to them. He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus saw His disciples struggling in the storm to get across the sea and He walked on the water, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus spent countless hours teaching, healing, bringing deliverance from the demons in people's lives, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus allowed Himself to be beaten with the cat-of-nine-tails, He demonstrate love.

• When Jesus allowed the soldiers to mock Him, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus hung on the cross and forgave us, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus emerged from the tomb, He demonstrated love.

• When Jesus returned to Jerusalem to encourage His disciples, He demonstrated love.

You have a choice. What are you going to do with the knowledge you have? Your mind can either be used to free you or imprison you. This also is your choice. It is important you make the choice or it will be made for you. The enemy looks for any way to dull our thinking, to get us to yield our minds to his control. We hear something and depending on how we have wallpapered our minds in the Word of God we will either cause the enemy to play that particular thought like a pinball or the enemy has no control over the paddles used to keep the pinball racking up the points. If your mind was a pinball machine is God playing, pushing the buttons to keep the ball in play or is the devil?

God tells us to cast down arguments. If you have to argue you have already lost. God gave us a brain. We can organize our thoughts, think through what needs to be said and deal with what God tells us is our fault. Most of us don't want to think it through, because we know deep down, some of the problem is our own selfishness. We would rather blame someone else and "make" them fully responsible.

God gave us sound mind so we could take captive every thought (2 Timothy 1:7). We do not have to allow the enemy play pinball in our mind. Any thought that doesn't line up with the Word of God we simply post, GAME OVER. We have the ability to make our mind think on something else (Philippians 4:7-8).

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

I am not saying we are to be mindless. God gave us a brain and expects us to use it. I am saying we are to fill our mind with the things of God, renewing our mind:

• Remembering His love for us

• Remembering all the times He intervened in our lives

• Remembering He is working all things together for our good

• Remembering that what He has started He will complete

• Remembering He makes a way for us when there is no way.

Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

John 20:21 (NKJV) "Peace to you!" - Live in peace, keep your mind from vain imagination, keep your heart from being anxious.

Father, I ask for You to come and speak peace to my mind, peace to my body, and peace to my spirit. Peace is a powerful weapon against all the things that steal from my life. I pray for Your peace to reach every mind. I pray for minds to be liberated from the enemy's control. I pray for each mind to be free to receive the truth of Your love. I pray for each mind to learn Your voice and commit it to memory. I ask for You to speak clearly, break through the barriers and lies each one has embraced. I ask for You to demonstrate Your love for each one as You minister to our thoughts. I pray for You to guide us in taking out the thoughts that have caused us to be trapped and ruled by the enemy. I pray for You to give us courage to forgive ourselves for believing the enemy. I pray for You to give us strength to renew our minds in the Word of God, learning of Your ways, and applying each verse to our lives. We will only be free when we embrace the truth. We will only have joy when we know Your peace. I pray for You to come and free each mind from the lies of the enemy. You are our healer. You are our deliverer. You are our strong tower. You are mighty on our behalf. You are the rock upon which we stand. You are the peace in the storm. You are the courage in the midst of danger. You are the judge who sentences the liar and brings justice to the meek. You are the only One who can make something good out of something bad. You are the only one who can restore what has been destroyed. You are the only one who can redeem what has been lost. You are the only one who can comfort the lost. You are the only one who can put together something that has shattered. You are the only one who's love never fails! I ask for Your love to be demonstrated in each person's area of need in Jesus' name amen.

A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,

Veridee Joy

My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.