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Right Thinking
As a man ‘thinketh in his
heart, so is he.’ Proverbs 23:7
Right Thinking
Right Thinking
Not just informed or conformed but be transformed.
“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”
(Romans 12:2 NKJV).
“The only security for any soul is right thinking. As a man ‘thinketh in his
heart, so is he.’ Proverbs 23:7.”
(Ministry of Healing, page 491).
1. The Law of Cognition:The way you think is the single most determinative thing about
you.
2. The Law of Exposure:Your mind will think about what it is most exposed to. What repeatedly
enters your mind, shapes your character.
There is an old story that says you are commanded to wear a coat with two
pockets to receive messages for your life. You have to decide which message
is the truth.
The note in the first pocket says:“You are nothing but millions of tiny grains of dirt. You are the product of
random chance. Your life is meaningless.”
The note in the second pocket says:“You are on a mission from God. You are the light of the world. You are the
salt of the earth.”
Your mind will think about what it is most exposed to. What repeatedly
enters your mind, shapes your character.
Which message will you hold on to and which one will you throw away?
How do we get How do we get right thinking?right thinking?
How do we get right thinking?How do we get right thinking?1. Focus on Jesus.1. Focus on Jesus.
2. Adopt an attitude of gratitude, Adopt an attitude of gratitude, praise, and joypraise, and joy.
6. Reduce your options.
4. Fall up.
3. Let your imagination take hold of the unseen.
7. Press together.
5. Live to give.
1. Focus on Jesus.1. Focus on Jesus.
• Psalm 101:3Psalm 101:3 ““I will set nothing wicked before I will set nothing wicked before
my eyes!” my eyes!”
• Why does David make this rule Why does David make this rule for his life?for his life?
• Because by beholding we become changed.
• “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2).
• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• By beholding we become changed.
Right ThinkingPhilippians 4:8 –
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good
report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on
these things.”
“It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and
let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant,
our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit.”
(Desire of Ages, page 83).
2. Adopt an attitude of gratitude, Adopt an attitude of gratitude, praise, and joypraise, and joy.
“Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of gratitude and
praise” (Ministry of Healing,
page 251).
“Cultivate thankfulness”
(Ministry of Healing, page 492).
“Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of gratitude and praise. It is a positive duty to
resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings--as much a
duty as it is to pray” (Ministry of Healing,
page 251).
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
“Dwell upon the good qualities of those with whom you associate, and see as little as possible of their errors and failings. When tempted to complain of what someone has said or done,
praise something in that person's life or character”
(Ministry of Healing, page 492).
“If we keep uppermost in our minds the unkind and unjust acts
of others we shall find it impossible to love them as Christ has loved us; but if our thoughts dwell upon the wondrous love and pity of Christ for us, the
same spirit will flow out to others”
(Steps to Christ, page 121).
“We need not keep our own record of trials and difficulties, griefs, and sorrows... While we
are counting up the disagreeable things, many things that are pleasant to reflect upon are
passing from memory” (Ministry of Healing,
page 487).
“Make it a rule never to utter one word of doubt
or discouragement” (Steps to Christ, pages 119-120).
3. Let your imagination take hold of the unseen.
“Instead of thinking of your discouragements, think of the power you can claim in
Christ's name. Let your imagination take hold upon
things unseen” (Ministry of Healing, page 488).
Right ThinkingSupernatural Warfare
(Numbers 13-14)
“Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first
preached entered not in because of unbelief”(Hebrews 4:6 KJV).
What is the opposite of “unbelief”?
FAITH
“Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV).
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 KJV).
DEFINITION: “Seeing the unseen.”
WHAT IS THE WORD:
FAITHWHAT OTHER WORD
COULD THIS BE A DEFINITION OF?
IMAGINATION
DEFINITION: IMAGINATION
1. mental creative ability
2. the faculty or action of producing ideas, especially
mental images of what is not present or has not been
experienced 3. Daydreaming and fantasy of
one when awake, building castles in the air, illusions,
unrealities
Godly imagination takes the Word of God and treats it as
reality.
Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the LORD encampeth
round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”
When the Centurion in Luke 7:7-8 said, “…say the word and my servant will be
healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under
me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’
and he does it.” he had great faith and a great
imagination.
“Faith looks beyond the difficulties and lays hold of the unseen, even Omnipotence.
Therefore, it can not be baffled”
(The Faith I Live By).(Faith does not have to
depend on sight.)
2 Corinthians 5:7:“For we walk by faith,
not by sight.”
“Instead of thinking of your discouragements, think of the
power you can claim in Christ’s name. Let your
imagination take hold of things unseen”
(Gospel Workers, page 478).
Children have vivid imaginations. Jesus wants us to have the faith
of a little child.
“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein”
(Luke 18:17).
Ungodly imagination visualizes things that are not true nor Biblical nor godly nor
pure. It is an unsanctified imagination, an uncontrolled and lustful imagination, or a
depressed and dark imagination.
“He who looks to Christ in simple childlike faith is made a partaker of
the divine nature through the agency of the Holy Spirit”
(The Faith I Live By, page 55).(Children have a powerful
imagination!)
“Through the imagination He (Christ) reached the heart”
(Desire of Ages, page 254).
“The first work of those who would reform is to purify the imagination” (Mind, Character and Personality, Volume 2,
page 595).
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind(imagination) is stayed on Thee”
(Isaiah 26:3 KJV).
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 KJV).
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually” (Genesis 6:5 KJV).
The reason why the world was destroyed by water:
He who has the imagination, has the man.
“It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and
let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant,
our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit.”
(Desire of Ages, page 83).
“Disease is sometimes produced, and is often greatly aggravated, by the
imagination. Many are lifelong invalids who might be well if they only thought
so. Many imagine that every slight exposure will cause illness, and the evil
effect is produced because it is expected. Many die from disease the cause of which is wholly imaginary”
(Ministry of Healing, page 241).
“Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer
have their foundation here” (Mind, Character and Personality vol. 1, p59).
“One sister was carried by her husband from chair to bed, and from room to room, because she thought that she
was too feeble to walk. But as the case was afterward presented to me, she
could have walked as well as myself if she had thought so.” (Testimonies vol. 2, p523.1).
“Had an accident occurred,--had the house taken fire, or one of her children been in
imminent danger of losing life by a fall,--this woman would have been aroused by the force
of circumstances, and would have walked quite readily and briskly. She could walk, so far
as physical strength was concerned; but diseased imagination led her to conclude that
she could not, and she did not arouse the power of the will to resist this deception.”
(Testimonies vol. 2, p523.1).
“The imagination said: You cannot walk, and you had better not try. Sit still; your limbs are so weak that you cannot stand. Had this sister exerted her
will power and aroused her benumbed and dormant energies, this deception would have
been exposed. In consequence of yielding to the imagination, she probably thinks, to this day, that
when she was so helpless she was so of necessity; but this was purely a freak of the imagination, which sometimes plays strange
tricks upon diseased mortals” (Testimonies vol. 2, p523.1).
“Once I was called to see a young woman with whom I was well acquainted. She was sick
and was running down fast. Her mother wished me to pray for her. The mother stood there weeping and saying, "Poor child; she
cannot live long." I felt her pulse. I prayed with her, and then addressed her, "My sister, if you get up and dress and go to your usual work in the office, all this invalidism will pass away." "Do you think this would pass away?" she
said. (Mind, Character and Personality vol. 2, p682).
"Certainly," I said. "You have nearly smothered the life forces by invalidism."
I turned to the mother and told her that her daughter would have died of a diseased imagination if they had not been convinced
of their error. She had been educating herself to invalidism. Now this is a very poor school. But I said to her, "Change this order; arise and dress." She was obedient, and is
alive today.(Mind, Character and Personality vol. 2, p682).
“The key to controlling your thoughts is realizing that you are the cinema manager. If a
mental movie creates problems, you can switch to
another film.” - Dr. Neil Nedley (The Lost Art
of Thinking)
Proverbs 24:16– “For a just man falleth seven times, and
riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into
mischief.”
Proverbs 24:16– “For a just man falleth seven times, and
riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into
mischief.”
Falling Up
Imagine you walk into a bank. There are 50 other people there.
A robber walks in and fires his weapon once and you are shot in the right arm.
The next day you are released from the hospital and you return to work.Now if you were honestly describing this event to your friends the next day, would you describe it as:
fortunate or unfortunate?
Reasons why it was Unfortunate:“I could have walked into any bank,
at any time. This kind of thing almost never happens. How unlucky is it that I happened to be there? And
that I was shot?!”
Reasons why it was Unfortunate:“I could have walked into any bank,
at any time. This kind of thing almost never happens. How unlucky is it that I happened to be there? And
that I was shot?!”
“There’s a bullet in my arm; that’s objectively unfortunate.”
“There’s a bullet in my arm; that’s objectively unfortunate.”
More Reasons why it was Unfortunate:
“I entered the bank perfectly healthy and I left in an
ambulance. I don’t know about you, but that’s not my idea of a
good time.”
More Reasons why it was Unfortunate:
“I entered the bank perfectly healthy and I left in an
ambulance. I don’t know about you, but that’s not my idea of a
good time.”
“This is fundamentally inconvenient.”
“This is fundamentally inconvenient.”
One More Reason why it was Unfortunate:
“There were at least fifty other people in the bank. Surely
someone deserved getting shot more than I did.”
One More Reason why it was Unfortunate:
“There were at least fifty other people in the bank. Surely
someone deserved getting shot more than I did.”
Reasons why it was Fortunate:“I could have been shot somewhere far worse than my arm. I could have
died. I feel incredibly fortunate.”
Reasons why it was Fortunate:“I could have been shot somewhere far worse than my arm. I could have
died. I feel incredibly fortunate.”
“It’s amazing that nobody else got hurt. There were a least 50 other
people in the bank, including children. It’s unbelievably lucky that
everybody lived to tell the tale.”
“It’s amazing that nobody else got hurt. There were a least 50 other
people in the bank, including children. It’s unbelievably lucky that
everybody lived to tell the tale.”
“Man can shape circumstances, but
circumstances should not be allowed to shape the man”
(Ministry of Healing, page 500).
When soldiers are heading for combat, psychologists commonly tell them they will return either “normal” or with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
There are only two paths: “normal” or “psychic distress?”
There is a third path:
Post-Traumatic Growth or Falling Up
What possible good could come out of a bad situation?
What if I end up in the hospital?
What if I find out that you have cancer?
What kind of positive What kind of positive growth have patient’s growth have patient’s experienced when they experienced when they
were diagnosed with were diagnosed with cancer?cancer?
1. Increased 1. Increased spiritualityspirituality
2. Compassion 2. Compassion for othersfor others
3. Openness3. Openness4. Heightened 4. Heightened
appreciation for, appreciation for, and greater and greater intimacy in, intimacy in, their social their social
relationshipsrelationships5. Enhanced 5. Enhanced self-confidence.self-confidence.
Why do some people fall up, while so many others fall down:
Why do some people fall up, while so many others fall down:
1. People who fall up see their suffering 1. People who fall up see their suffering as an opportunity to learn, grow and as an opportunity to learn, grow and
develop.develop.2. People who fall up have moral 2. People who fall up have moral
courage and refuse to betray their courage and refuse to betray their values.values.
3. People who fall up have a strong 3. People who fall up have a strong sense of self-control see their suffering sense of self-control see their suffering as local and temporary as opposed to as local and temporary as opposed to
universal and permanent.universal and permanent.
James 1:2 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various
trials.”
James 1:2 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various
trials.”
John 16:33 – “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 – “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world.”
“Trials and obstacles are the Lord's chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success.” – Help in Daily Living, pg. 9
“Men of power are those who have been opposed, baffled, and thwarted. By calling their energies into action, the obstacles they meet prove to them positive blessings. They gain self-reliance. Conflict and perplexity call for the exercise of trust in God and for that firmness which develops power.” – Help in Daily Living, pg. 45
Romans 8:28Romans 8:28
“The Father's presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. Whatever comes to him comes from the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence.” – Help in Daily Living, pp. 30-31
“Nothing can touch him except by the Lord's permission. All our sufferings and sorrows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and privations, in short, all things work together for our good. All experiences and circumstances are God's workmen whereby good is brought to us.” – Help in Daily Living, pp. 30-31
““I’ve failed over I’ve failed over and over again and over again in my life, and in my life, and that is why I that is why I succeed.”succeed.”
- Michael Jordan- Michael Jordan
““I have failed I have failed my way to my way to success.”success.”
- Thomas - Thomas EdisonEdison
““Only those Only those who dare to who dare to fail greatly fail greatly can ever can ever achieve achieve
greatly.”greatly.”
- Robert - Robert KennedyKennedy
“Many who are qualified to do excellent work accomplish little because they attempt little.” – Help in Daily Living, pg. 43
“One reason for this is the low estimate which they place upon themselves. Christ paid an infinite price for us, and according to the price paid He desires us to value ourselves.” – Help in Daily Living, pg. 43
“Many become inefficient by evading responsibilities for fear of failure. Thus they fail of gaining that education which results from experience, and which reading and study and all the advantages otherwise gained cannot give them.” – Help in Daily Living, pp. 30-31
Two shoe salesmen went to Africa in the early 1900s to assess opportunities.
“Situation hopeless. They don’t wear shoes.”“Glorious opportunity! They don’t have any shoes yet.”
“Great as is the shame and degradation through sin, even greater will be the honor and exaltation through redeeming love. To human beings striving for conformity to the divine image there is imparted an outlay of heaven's treasure, an excellency of power, that will place them higher than even the angels who have never fallen.” – Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 163
5. Live to give.
“From His earliest years He (Jesus) was
possessed of one purpose;
He lived to bless others.” - Desire of Ages, page 70
““The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving
and lovable Christian. To live such a life, to exert such
an influence, costs at every step effort, self-sacrifice,
discipline” ” (Ministry of Healing, pages 470(Ministry of Healing, pages 470).).
John 15:11
Hebrews 12:1, 2
“Doing a kindness produces the single most reliable
momentary increase in well being of any exercise we
have tested” (Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology wrote in
his book Flourish).
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
“Happiness that is sought from selfish motives, outside of the
path of duty, is ill-balanced, fitful, and transitory; it passes away,
and the soul is filled with loneliness and sorrow; but there
is joy and satisfaction in the service of God”
(Steps to Christ, page 125).
““Those who think of the result of Those who think of the result of hastening or hindering the gospel hastening or hindering the gospel think of it in relation to themselves think of it in relation to themselves and to the world. Few think of its and to the world. Few think of its
relation to God. Few give thought to relation to God. Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused the suffering that sin has caused
our Creator”our Creator” (Education, page 263).
“All heaven suffered in Christ's agony; but that
suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a
revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to
the heart of God. Every departure from the right,
every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach
His ideal, brings grief to Him” (Education, page 263).
“Of all the gifts that heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was
greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. ‘Unto you it
is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.’
Philippians 1:29” (Ministry of Healing, pages 476-477).
“’Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not’ (Jeremiah 45:5). The
Lord has no place in His work for those who have a greater desire to win the
crown than to bear the cross. He wants men who are more intent upon doing their duty than upon receiving their
reward--men who are more solicitous for principle than for promotion” (Ministry of Healing, pages 476-477).
“…“…you are the temple of you are the temple of God…”God…”
- 1 Corinthians 3:16- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Purity of Purity of behaviourbehaviour
Purity of ThoughtsPurity of Thoughts(Right Thinking)(Right Thinking)
Purity of CharacterPurity of Character
7. Press together.
“By mutual contact our minds should receive polish and
refinement. We are dependent upon one another, closely
bound together by the ties of human brotherhood”
(Ministry of Healing, page 496).
““We want to press together. O, how many times, when I have seemed to be in the
presence of God and holy angels, I have heard the angel voice saying, ‘Press
together, press together, press together. Do not let Satan cast his hellish shadow
between brethren. Press together; in unity there is strength’
I repeat the message to you”{GCDB, April 13, 1891 par. 34}
““It is the will of God that union and brotherly love should exist It is the will of God that union and brotherly love should exist among His people. The prayer of Christ just before His among His people. The prayer of Christ just before His
crucifixion was that His disciples might be one as He is one with crucifixion was that His disciples might be one as He is one with the Father, that the world might believe that God had sent Him. the Father, that the world might believe that God had sent Him.
This most touching and wonderful prayer reaches down the This most touching and wonderful prayer reaches down the ages, even to our day; for His words were, "Neither pray I for ages, even to our day; for His words were, "Neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word." John 17:20. While we are not to sacrifice one their word." John 17:20. While we are not to sacrifice one
principle of truth, it should be our constant aim to reach this state principle of truth, it should be our constant aim to reach this state of unity. This is the evidence of our discipleship. Said Jesus, "By of unity. This is the evidence of our discipleship. Said Jesus, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love
one to another." John 13:35. The apostle Peter exhorts the one to another." John 13:35. The apostle Peter exhorts the church, "Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of church, "Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of
another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8, 9. {PP 520.3} blessing." 1 Peter 3:8, 9. {PP 520.3} ”
"Behold, how good and how "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to pleasant it is for brethren to
dwell together in unity!"dwell together in unity!"(Psalms 133:1)(Psalms 133:1)
