Outline:
- Introduction
- Voices in Your Mind
- The Voice of the World
- Your Flesh
- Don’t Trust Your Gut
- Your Expectations of God
Scriptures:
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
- 2 Corinthians 10:4
- Romans 7:18
- Psalms 37:4
- 1 John 2:16
- Galatians 5:16-17
Introduction
Story: Husband with the hearing problem
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
The Source of Evil
Evil is whatever goes against God
We are looking at the source of thoughts that go against God
- Some will attribute them all to the person of Satan
- Some will attribute them to demons
However you view them they are interfering with you hearing and obeying God
The voices can originate from
- Your Mind
- The World
- Your Flesh
- Your Gut
- God
- The enemy
We’re going to continue to talk about voices in your head that aren’t yours
There may be overlap between the sources
Example: Satan can put a thought in your mind
Review
Respect God’s Name
- If God says something today theoretically it should have the same authority as scripture.
- The penalty for false prophets was death
- Being led by the Holy Spirit is hearing from God
Deafened by Your Own Voice
- Fear of other people’s opinion
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of embarrassment
- Fear of failure
Whatever voice is the loudest voice in your head is the voice that will drown out the voice of God
Your Own Plan
- Make sure it’s God’s plan not yours
Inner Critic
The inner critic is that voice inside our heads that constantly says negative self statements.
The basic message of the inner critic is “you are not good enough and you aren’t capable of becoming good enough “
The source of your shame
We developed these voices during childhood to prevent us from repeating the negative consequences
- Tells you abuse is your fault too prevent you from fighting back
- Tell yourself that “you are good for nothing”
Your past impacts how you view yourself today
Discussed 2 methods to get rid of it or turn it into an inner coach
Renewed Mind will be in a future series
Voices in Your Mind
Your Mind
- Inner Critic
- Strongholds
- Voice of the World
- Voice of Your identity
Strongholds
2 Corinthians 10:4
4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
The fortress/stronghold is a fortified argument that has been in our heads so long that it is strong. We fight against arguments. We fight against beliefs.
A pattern has to do with
- What I see
- How I process what I see
- How I act upon what I see
The solution is to change our thought patterns.
Example: I’m tall
- All the girls will like me
- I’m tall and linky and will stand out
Example: the Bible doesn’t apply to every area now because times have changed
Voice of Your Identity
- Black
- Woman
- I am the bad things I’ve done in the past
- Republican
- Democrat
There is a difference between identity and behavior.
- Because I lie does not mean that I am a liar.
The Voice of the World
- Science
- Media
- Popular opinion
The systems that promote non-Christian perspectives
Science
- Measurable
- Repeatable
- Peer reviewed
- Theory is not real science (Evolution )
- Surveys are not real science (Evolutionary psychology )
The messages may be subtle
- Everyone should have the freedom to do what you want to do
- Love is all that matters
- Women’s rights are the most important thing
- As long as you’re not hurting anyone you can do what you want
Example: you shouldn’t do anything to offend anyone
- Call them by their pronoun
- They should be able to use whichever bathroom they choose
Example: people are offended by the name of Jesus
- People are offended by the phrase “Merry Christmas”
- You have to say holiday party
- They say X-mas
- We should be offended - that’s derogatory
Your Flesh
Romans 7:18
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
Flesh
- Your physical desires
- a metaphor to describe sinful tendencies
Your Desires
Psalms 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
In looking at “the flesh” we are looking at “wrong desires”
Some people teach that any desire that you have in your heart must be from God
- That is not true
- Some people teach that every “good” desire in your heart came from God
- That is not necessarily true
- It depends on your definition of “good”
Example: you have a desire to match your socks with you shirt
- It’s not a bad desire
- But is it more a care of the world or a desire of God
Example: A desire to make your bed every morning
- Our culture says it’s good
Example: 6 pack
We’re going to look at some of the sources of your desires
Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, Pride of Life
1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
- These are things of the world
Lust of the Flesh
- To want something because it feels good
- The temptation to feel physical pleasure from some sinful activity
- The desire to do something to make the flesh feel satisfied
Examples of the “lust of the flesh” include the following:
- Sexual sins
- Physical violence
- Drug use
- Alcohol
- Anger
Galatians 5:19-21
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
- Adultery,
- fornication,
- uncleanness,
- lasciviousness,
- idolatry,
- witchcraft,
- hatred,
- variance,
- emulations,
- wrath,
- strife,
- seditions,
- heresies,
- envyings,
- murders,
- drunkenness,
- revellings,
...
Some of your desires come from lust of your flesh
What is the Lust of the Eyes?
- Want something because it looks good
- Desire to own or possess
- Coveting
- Desire for status
The lust of the eyes is that temptation to look upon things we shouldn’t look upon, or to have things that we shouldn’t have. In other words, it is to cast our eyes upon something with desire or pleasure, even though God has told us not to look upon those things.
To covet means to have a yearning or a strong desire to have something that rightfully belongs to someone else.
“That’s not fair that he has such a beautiful wife. I want her as my wife,”
“I wish I had a job like him”
“I wish I could sing like that”
“I want the new iPhone”
What is the Pride of Life
- Desiring to “look good” or be esteemed
- Power, Significance, respect
- Something that leads to boasting
The pride of life is that sinful temptation for excess greatness or power that we feel the temptation to attain.
Pride is one of the sins that God hates most.
- It is the sin that made Lucifer fall
Some examples of this sin include the following:
- Desiring to get credit or glory for things that others (or God) did
- Desiring for others to worship us or hold us in excess esteem,
- Desiring to feel valued or more important than others
- Desiring to have positions of power over others
- Desiring things for bragging rights
Looking at These Three Temptations in Action
Every sin we commit will involve at least one of these three temptations, but it may include all three
Jesus’ Temptation
- Lust of the flesh
- command that these stones be made bread
- Pride of life
- Command angels to save you
- Lust of the eyes
- Give you all the kingdoms of the world
The Flesh vs the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-17
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh fnsets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
If we walk by the influence of the Holy Spirit we won’t walk by the voice of the flesh.
The enemy can’t be successful without the voice of the flesh.
Don’t Trust Your Gut
Obesity
“It sounds like science fiction, but it seems that bacteria within us — which outnumber our own cells about 100-fold — may very well be affecting both our cravings and moods to get us to eat what they want, and often are driving us toward obesity”.
-- Study UCSF
Story: fat rats
if we take the bacteria out of someone who is obese and put it in a fit mouse the mouse will gain wait and get depression within 4 months
Story: Thin twins
Researchers say they took bacteria from human twins—one overweight and the other thin—and transferred it to mice. Mice with bacteria from a thin human stayed thin and mice with bacteria from an obese human gained weight
Bacteria are the source of
- Cravings and addictions
- Obesity
- Alcoholism
- Sex drive
In our gut we have
- Bacteria
- Fungus
- Viruses
- Candida
Virus Can Control Your Sex Drive
Horny Crickets
- Virus - IIV-6/CrIV
Sexually transmitted infection that makes crickets hornier
It eventually turns their insides blue and kills them the infected male lab crickets were much quicker to start singing the courtship song than the healthy males. In fact, it took the sick crickets only about three minutes to start singing their sexy tune, as opposed to the ten minutes it took the healthy guys to heat things up.
Once inside, the virus shuts down the immune system and the cricket-equivalent of white blood cells, offering no outside signs that anything’s wrong.
Sickness - Lose Desire for Food and Sex
It’s natural for animals, including us, to want to hunker down when we’re sick. Food and fun lose all appeal, but it’s not the sickness telling our bodies to be lame. It’s our immune system telling us to chill out and get some much-needed rest.
Stimuli from our five senses get processed by the brain. Stimuli from bacteria get processed by the brain.
The brain does not originate thoughts it is just a processor.
Our five senses send external information to the process. Our bodies send internal messages to be processed. These internal messages can be influenced or compromised by bacteria.
You lose your appetite and sex appeal when you are sick is because your body shuts down sending signals from your stomach to the brain as it affects. It does this because it recognizes that foreign entities have taken over the internal ecosystem.
Suicidal Rats
- Make people suicidal - bacteria in rats
Other Issues
Bacteria and viruses are the cause of
- Depression
- Anxiety
- ability to think
- breast cancer
Gut Bacteria Function
Having bacteria in your stomach is natural and is part of our normal physical makeup.
the ion channels in the bacteria are the exact same as those in the nerves
The brain listens to bacteria
Bacteria and viruses
- Send signals to the brain of what we should eat
- They try to influence the prominence of their species
- Intestinal bacteria also synthesize necessary enzymes, biotin, vitamins, folic acid, and thiamine.
As science has discovered these things we now see the rise in the use of probiotics to promote the “good “ bacteria
Fasting
This is, I believe, the point of fasting.
- Fasting will quiet the “voices” coming from our stomachs.
- Fasting helps regulate the microbe ecosystem in our guts
Why did people fast in the bible?
- Fasting in the bible was used to help you hear from God.
- Fasting was used to help God move
- Fasting was used to get rid of demons
This would explain why Jesus fasted.
- Jesus lived in a flesh body.
- Jesus also wanted to quiet the voices coming from His flesh body.
- Jesus fasted to help Him resist the temptation of the devil.
Your Expectations of God
- How are you judging God
Your opinion of God can interfere with you hearing from God
What is it that you’re judging God by?
- Determine if God exists
- Determine if God loves you
- Determine if God has/will bless you
What measure do you use to determine if God exists?
- Evil in the world
- Good people dying
- Whether bad things happen to good people
- His healing record with your loved ones
- If you feel His presence
- Whether or not He speaks to you
- Accurate Words from prophets
- It makes sense logically
- You can prove it
What do you use to determine if God has blessed you?
- Your wealth
- You’re in a relationship
- If He answers your prayers
What do you use to determine if God loves you?
- His healing record
- Relationship drama
- How you feel
- I feel the love of God
What is it that makes you say “God doesn’t love me”?
Instructor: Michael Leadon
References
Discerning God's Voice
Pride of Life
How to Know If It's God
Is Bacteria the Secret Weapon to Weight Loss?
Gut Bacteria From Thin Humans Can Thin Mice Down
Gut Bacteria Control Our Diet
This STI Makes Crickets Horny Before Killing Them
