Set Your Mind

 Set Your Mind

June 17, 2026

Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV) 

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:14-17 (NKJV) 

14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In today’s scripture, the Apostle Paul returns to the theme from Philippians, namely putting on the mind of Christ. “Set your mind on things above…” We become what we dwell on. One lesson my father taught me was to set a vision and drive straight towards it. He did this in a practical way by teaching me to plow a field by picking out a fence post at the far end of the field, and making a straight furrow towards it. I would tend to get distracted by things close by and fidget and let the tractor swerve. Only by keeping your mind set firmly on the goal could I keep in a straight row. That principle extends to the spiritual. When we set our mind on things above we set a course for our life that drives straight to peace, love and thankfulness. Rejoicing along the way also helps keep our focus on our goal. So whatever is in your life today such as problems that try to distract you, keep your eyes on Jesus and set a course and stick to it. 

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Philippians 2:5-7 (NKJV) 

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form ofGod, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men.

Philippians 3:1 (NKJV) 

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you [is]not tedious, but for you [it is] safe.

Philippians 3:15-16 (NKJV) 

15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you thinkotherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to [the degree] that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

The Fleshky Mind

 The Fleshly Mind

June 16, 2026

Colossians 2:16-19 (NKJV) 

16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moonor sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in [false] humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase [that is] from God.

In today’s scripture, we see the contrast to the mind of Christ, which is the fleshly mind. Instead of having the humble attitude of Christ, the fleshly mind expresses a false humility. This is a religious attitude that majors on rules and regulations and the worship of created things instead of rejoicing in the Lord. This leads to an appearance of godliness but does not lead to true life and peace. 

In our day we see this in the zealous pushing of fad diets such as the vegan lifestyle and the pursuit of hidden knowledge about aliens and unidentified phenomena. One of the recent movie releases, “Disclosure Day”, is said to be an attack on Christianity by proposing the revelation of secret knowledge about extraterrestrials, which contradicts biblical knowledge. There is no end of ways that man has invented for ways to create religious experiences that avoid worshiping the true God. Man is made to worship, and if he rejects the true God, he will find something else to worship. The fleshy mind will find a way invent some way to create order for its life. Whether it is a dedication to football or some other obsession. 

In contrast, the mind of Christ leads us to hold fast to the head and to live together as the body of Christ. This is the way of contentment and peace. So hold fast, and pursue the mind of Christ and reject the ways of the world and the freshly mind.

Attitude of Gratitude

 Attitude of Gratitude 

June 15, 2026

Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV) 

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Having the mind of Christ involves adopting several attitudes. One of these is gratitude. We once had a pastor that printed signs that said “Attitude of Gratitude”, and had us tape it to our bathroom mirror where we would see it first thing every morning. I don’t remember how long that sign stayed there. That house has been sold and that pastor has moved on to his eternal reward, but the lesson remains. If you want to live with the mind of Christ, start your day with an attitude of gratitude. 

This has always been difficult for me. I spent my working life looking for faults in paper making equipment that could be fixed, and investigating inefficiencies that could be improved. That is an attitude of continuous improvement, which leads to increasing productivity, but does not foster a sense of gratitude for what you have. In order to give thanks for all things, you have to be grateful for what you have now, being confident that God will supply anything that is lacking.

So endeavor to give thanks always for all things and make your requests known to God with thanksgiving. Such an attitude will lead you to have the mind of Christ and drawn you closer to the Lord. Shalom.

 

Peace of Mind

Peace of Mind

June 14, 2026

Philippians 4:4-7 (NKJV) 

4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord [is] at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8-9 (NKJV) 

8Finally, 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. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

The last couple of days we have been talking about the mind of Christ and having a mature mind. The apostle wraps up his letter with advice on how to obtain peace of mind. Practicing the following will help you live a peaceful, unworried life:

• Rejoice always
• Don’t be anxious
• Pray about everything
• Be thankful
• Meditate on pure thoughts

And the result will be a life lived with the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.

What else can I say? That’s a good list to start meditating on in order to start you on a road of living with peace of mind. Shalom. Shalom.

Mature Mind

 Mature Mind

June 13, 2926

Philippians 3:12-16 (NKJV) 

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that Imay lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing [I do,] forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to [the degree] that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

Yesterday, we talked about having the mind of Christ. Today’s scripture talks about being of a mature mind. By that, the apostle means that we should have an attitude which does not think too highly of ourselves, but persists in pressing on. Being mature means that we don’t think we have arrived, but continue to learn and progress in the Word of God. In the world, we come to an age when we retire and sit back and rest from our labors, but in the Lord we don’t retire; we keep on reaching for the prize. As one old saint put it, “I’m not retired, I’m re-fired!”  So whatever your age, keep on reaching forward and pursue the call of God. Be of the same mind as the Apostle Paul, and keep on walking.

The Mind of Christ

 Mind of Christ

June 12, 2026

Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJV) 

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form ofGod, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5 (NASB)

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

When you look at the news this week, it is readily apparent that one thing missing from our modern society is the mind of Christ. Jesus had an attitude of humility by which he made himself of no reputation. He didn’t defend himself from insults and disrespected by lashing out with violence. The attitude that it is ok to murder someone because you are disrespected is tearing our society apart. Our young people need Jesus! 

Modern philosophers and social influencers criticize Christianity as being out of step with modern times, but it is the teaching of Jesus that serves as the foundation of civil society. The American republic was founded on the teachings of the Bible, and our laws reflect the justice taught from Moses to Jesus. Without the philosophical underpinnings of the Bible, society is returning to a cruel, pagan past. Before America, all nations were governed by kings or tyrants, and the ideas of liberty and equality were unknown outside of a few periods when the king was a follower of Christ and ruled from a biblical perspective. The American constitution was the first to codify the ideas of liberty, equality and justice as taught by the Bible. When we deviate from this standard, society deteriorates, and injustice and cruelty abounds. Let us have the mind of Christ and teach our children the way of humility and love for one another, so that America can once again be great. As the French historian De Tocqueville put it, “America is great because she is good. If she ceases to be great, she will cease to be good.” So as we celebrate 250 of American liberty, let us remember the teaching of Jesus and humble ourselves and and teach our children the way of love.

Armor of God

 Armor of God

June 10, 2026

Ephesians 6:10-12 (NKJV) 

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.]

When we read the daily news, we hear of wars, crooked elections, murder and riots, and we are tempted to attack the people behind these activities. It is important then, to remember the admonition in Ephesians 6, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…”. The war against principalities, powers, and rulers is a spiritual battle and requires spiritual weapons.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) 

3For 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.

And our armor is not to protect against bullets drones and bombs, but against spiritual forces of wickedness. The battle is in the mind and in the spirit. Our enemies are not the people that wield these physical weapons, but the evil forces behind them. To defeat them, we need spiritual weapons and spiritual armor. Truth, righteousness and faith are our tools to take on the lies of the enemy. Going back to the daily news, you will notice that the first attack from the enemy is in the form of lies. Before the mussels fly and the bullets are shot, there is a barrage of lies to deceive and demoralize their enemies. This is the time to take a stand for truth, expose the lies, and preach the gospel of peace. The answer to the evil and riotously behavior taking over our streets is not more violence, but more truth. Pray for those poor, deceived individuals that are being used to spread the lies and cause murder and mayhem. They are not our true enemies, but are unfortunate tools of the evil one. So take up the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, and do battle for truth, righteousness and the American way.

Ephesians 6:13-20 (NKJV) 

13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,