Quote from Forum Archives on March 25, 2002, 1:30 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I'd like to direct today's message particularly to those of you
who are relatively young in your faith (or maybe even deciding
whether or not the Christian life is for you). For everyone
else, this message is a good reminder of things that we hopefully
already know (but perhaps this is useful to share with others).

You see, I've shared this stuff about "renewing the mind"
before. I think it is important that we "reprogram" what is
inside our heads. So often, we allow the things around us, or
what we've been used to in the past, to dictate the way we think
and act.

The Bible strongly suggests that there is a different approach
that must be taken if we really want to experience the fullness
of the Christian life. Today's message from Neil Anderson, in my
opinion, does an excellent job of explaining these things, so I
encourage you to read it carefully and prayerfully.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

March 25

HOW YOU ARE PROGRAMMED

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and
empty deception, according to the tradition of men . . . rather
than according to Christ (Colossians 2:8).

The first step toward the formation of strongholds in our minds
can be called "environmental stimulation." You were designed to
live in fellowship with God and fulfill His purposes, but you
were born physically alive and spiritually dead in a hostile
world (Ephesians 2:1, 2). Before you came to Christ, all your
stimulation came from this environment. Every day you lived in
this environment you were influenced by it and preconditioned to
conform to it.

The worldly stimulation you were exposed to was both brief and
prevailing. Brief stimulation includes individual events,
situations, places and personal encounters you experienced. You
were influenced by books you read, movies you watched, music you
listened to, and traumatic events you experienced or witnessed,
such as a car accident or a death in the family. You learned a
way (which may or may not have been God's way) to cope with these
experiences and resolve the conflicts they produced.

Prevailing stimulation consists of long-term exposure to your
environment, such as the influence of your family, your friends
and peers, your neighborhood, your teachers, and your job. If you
grew up separated from God, and were raised in a non-Christian
environment, you developed a philosophy of how to survive, cope
and succeed in this world apart from God.

When you became a Christian your sins were washed away, but your
predisposition to think and behave a certain way, which you
developed as you adjusted to your environment, remained
programmed in your mind. In fact, you can become a born-again
believer and continue to live on the basis of the lifestyle you
developed while living independently of God. That is why Paul
insists that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds
(Romans 12:2).

I know I was saved in a moment, Lord. But my character still
needs daily transformation. Help me be as patient with others in
their transformation as You are with me.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
< www.ficm.org >.

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >.
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=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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