Episode 169: The Mind: Renewal & Removal

It is clear in Scripture that the world, the flesh, and the devil work in a concentrated effort to imprison people with deception. The difficult truth is that we do not rise above what we believe is true and prioritized. What we believe to be true owns us. While God has empowered us to defeat the enemies which seek to dominate our thinking, He expects us to personally and proactively enter into a strategy that secures the victory of the mind. This message equips us to know how to proactively protect our minds from deception. Once a believer masters these truths and the necessary disciplines that must accompany them, that same believer will know what it is to defeat demons, deception, and discouragement.

Episode 168: Mind Games

We typically live to the fullest along the lines of what we believe to be the truest. This is awesome news if you are in alignment with truth. It is devastating if what you unknowingly believe is actually false. The war for the mind is always atop the list of what the enemy seeks to win in our lives. Gratefully, we have divine power to destroy opinions and strongholds which come against God’s truth in our lives. This episode of Mavericks & Misfits exposes the strategy of Satan to own our thoughts. It also gives a strong call and practical help for each Christian to proactively protect their minds so that they do not fall prey to the spirit of deception which is everywhere in today’s culture.

A concern often expressed by those who are skeptical of the gift of tongues is centered on what possible value there could be in praying in a language that you do not understand. More than once, I have been interrogated about whether or not it is good stewardship of my time to devote large portions of it to praying privately in tongues. For those who do not pray in tongues, I actually believe these types of concerns are valid. They have a legitimate right to ask. How could they possible perceive the benefit of praying in tongues when they have never embraced it as part of their Christianity? My real curiosity is whether or not they are asking the question to learn an answer…or just to make the point that they do not value the presumed gift of tongues. Today’s episode of Mavericks & Misfits contains some of my personal testimony of the benefit of tongues, plus some very clear Scriptures that reveal what happens when we pray in tongues.

What do you believe about speaking in tongues? For many, the subject is irrelevant to them on a practical basis. They do not speak in tongues, the church they attend does endorse the gift of tongues, and they simply do not see the benefit in the lives of those who say they speak in tongues. For other Christians, the practice of praying in tongues plays a significant part in the life of a Jesus-follower. We all know it is a controversial issue between believers who equally love God…but both groups cannot be equally right. Someone believes rightly, and the other believes wrongly about the gift of tongues and whether or not is an ongoing activity among Christians. Today’s episode asks some important questions about the topic of tongues. As always, we will seek to answer those important questions using the Scriptures. It may very well be that some who listen will begin a journey into the gifts of Holy Spirit that they can both explain biblically and experience personally.

The question often asked to many young children is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The question is innocent enough but notice the subtle difference: they are not asked WHO they want to be (identity), but WHAT they want to be (activity). Thus began the training of most of us to draw our own sense of being from the thing(s) we are most often doing. This leads to so much unnecessary loss. Could it be that the majority of us have been unconsciously trained to live as pretenders? What if most Christians are ignorant of who they are because they live to do instead of to be? Today’s podcast highlights several believers in the Bible who pretended to be someone that they were never intended by God to be. Their examples may serve as a point of transformation for us in our own journey.

One of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament, Jeremiah, once declared that he felt like quitting on God. Yet, the fire in Jeremiah’s bones refused to let him go silent. The great Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 that things got so heavy for him that he despaired of going on living. These men were not snowflakes…and yet they hit a wall in life and faith at one point. There is an obscure verse in the Book of Isaiah that reveals the heart of God toward those who are discouraged, weak, exhausted, and overwhelmed. You may be surprised at what He says to them (us!). Today’s podcast is highly pastoral in nature, ministering to that part of us that is, without denial, weak. How can we expect God to bless when we have zero to offer Him? This verse from Isaiah reveals that we often have a deep flaw in our understanding of what it means to live victoriously, strongly, and consistently for the glory of God.

You don’t need to ask Christians if they have ever gotten sideways with another believer. It happens. The bible says that iron sharpens iron…and when that occurs, sparks will fly. What if the person you were upset with was actually an otherwise solid believer who was operating in a blind-spot? Or maybe they really are a fleshly pain…but that is also true because they are operating in a blind-spot that has become a personal stronghold in their life. Jesus once rebuked two of His closest followers for a troubling ignorance that had influenced some of how they were living and ministering. This same ignorance also negatively impacted Moses and David at certain points. Today’s podcast exposes this potential in all of our lives and offers practical help for you so that you never become a victim of this troubling, yet common, ignorance.

God has established social and spiritual structures within His Kingdom which operate on the premise of delegated authority and the call to obey authority He establishes. These structures are seen in the family, the government, and the workplace. Surprisingly to some, the Bible says more about human authority in the Church more so than any of the previously mentioned areas. How do you regard God’s established authority structures in the Church? If you have been given a place of leadership and authority in the Church, do you recognize the intense accountability you are under for how you lead others? The issue of rebellion against God-established human authority is seen in multiple places in Scripture. One particular account serves as great instruction to present day believers. How we respond to God-established human authority will either invite His blessing or His strong hand of correction. For some, there is only one chance to get this right.