Living in the Last Hour

Part 4: Developing the Mind of Christ

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Irm

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Developing the mind of Christ begins by taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2Cor.10:5).” Learning to think on the things of God will follow as we rejoice in the Lord always. Philippians 4 tell us, “I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Finally, verse 8 directs us to dwell on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Taking every thought captive is not an easy task. We have all entertained thoughts, if only briefly, about something contrary to our personal belief of right and wrong. Most morally conscious individuals will override those thoughts with rational thought. The Word of God instructs to take every thought captive. As Christians, we are not free from temptations, even though we know it is wrong and against God, we proclaim “I stumbled” into sin. We use the excuse, “before I knew it…”, but recognizably we know that the thought of sin was planted and watered and nursed in our mind. We coddled that sin, we rationalized the guilt, and the sin became reality. Remember the battle is in the mind and for your mind, so following through is impossible without the Spirit of God in control.

We must all choose to follow and live according to God’s commandments. Is it easy? No! Was it meant to be easy? No! Jesus said, “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Mat. 10: 22).” They hated him first.  Timothy said, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..(2 Timothy 3:12).”   The Word tells that sin and the lusts of this world are constantly inundating our thought processes. Further, proclaiming your faith, living by faith and living for Christ seems to attract the big guns. You have to understand that there is no rest from spiritual attacks if you are not cognizant of the fact that these attacks are purposeful and with one goal, destroying the faith and witness of the children of God. Positive thinking will not work here. You need the power of God that comes from trusting in Him. We must stand on the foundation of Christ. Not many Christians understand, at least not completely how the enemy operates. And more choose to deny, or ignore the influence of various forms of perverted media. Choosing to believe, choosing to follow, choosing to deny self, and living for God are choices, just like choosing to get up in the morning to go to work. “Choose you today, who you will follow.”

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Hello,

I’m Irma

Welcome to my little corner of the blog world. Here, I share my thoughts on Christianity, the things of God, and the ways He has shaped and guided my path through life. My journey with the Lord has been long and transformative, marked by moments of peace and joy and periods of uncertainty. I write, first and foremost, for myself—to process what the Lord so graciously reveals to me in Scripture. Sharing some of these truths has become a mission of sorts, via blogging. His word urges us to bear witness and encourage one another.

As I reflect on my own transformation, I can say that the church itself has transformed over the years and not necessarily for the good. I speak about my own experiences with the church. One lesson the Lord impressed upon me this year is that “truth is not always truth.” What do I mean by that? There have been times when I’ve shared a biblical insight, only to realize that other faithful believers interpret the same passage differently. In that instance, I find that the Lord reveals according to our understanding. When I share the need for a Damascus experience understandings diverged sharply. Believers that have been raised in the church do not feel that such an extreme experience is necessary for spiritual maturity. Our faith is truly shaped by our backgrounds. Spiritual journeys are not for everyone. This taught me that early socialization deeply colors our grasp of faith; what’s true for me may not resonate in the same way for someone else.

Similarly, lately I considered how “ignorance of Scripture was its own blessing,” I remembered my early walk with Christ. I had a blind faith. I knew little of doctrine or debate. I trusted the pastor. In those days, my faith and trust in the church and church leaders was simple—I accepted what was taught from the pulpit without questioning. I did not have the knowledge needed to question any teaching. There was a peace in not knowing all the controversies or complexities. As I grew and studied the scriptures, and did some additional research, as the Lord gave understanding, I found myself questioning everything I had been taught. I did not question my faith, or the existence of God. That ignorance, while limiting, protected me from confusion and doubt, allowing me to rest in childlike faith.

The church itself has seen many changes over the decades. Self-proclaimed prophets have introduced new doctrines, some bordering on heresy, while believers wrestle with their flesh and what it means to follow Christ in a society with so many freedoms. I remember a time, more than thirty years ago, when I trusted every word spoken in church. Now, I understand how easy it is to accept teachings that stray from biblical truth. The Scriptures warned us this would happen in the last days.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NKJV) “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

Current events—like the 2024 Election—have exposed deep flaws in American Christianity. Yet, through it all, Scripture assures me that God is sovereign. No wall built by human hands can withstand His judgment; no scheme crafted in darkness escapes His light. These lessons have become more real to me as I look back over my journals, filled with stories of God’s faithfulness during trials, tribulations and abundant grace. By sharing I hope those the Lord leads here will desire to seek God wholeheartedly, to find comfort knowing that He is always at work in our lives—often in ways we never considered.

Check out my books on Amazon for the Kindle App or in print.

Check out my latest title: Where are my Sheep? Available in Print & Kindle

The Diary of A Christian Woman

A Father Takes All: Four Generations of Growing up in Single Mother Homes – Grace Abounds

I Will Not Be Afraid: Living in the last Hour – Reflections of a Christian Woman

The Journey Endured: The Path to Meet God

Praise the God of the heavens!