Pastor's thoughts
2005 (click here for
more messages from Pastor Kevin Barner)
Remember
when only people contracted viruses? Remember when
terms like parasite & worm were
applied to living organisms & little brothers? Remember
when viral infections were treated by doctors & quarantine
meant the isolation of diseased people & pets?
No longer. Nowadays computers get sick. Yours has…mine
has. A computer virus is a common cold compared to the Chernobyl-level
attack you & I face on a daily basis. Think of your
MIND as a computer made to store & process massive amounts
of data. Think of your strengths as software. Pianists are
loaded with music programs. Accountants seem to be born
with spreadsheet capacity. Fun lovers come with games installed.
We are all different, but we each have a computer &
software, & sadly, we also have viruses. You & I
are infected with destructive thoughts.
Just
as computer viruses have names, we have mental viruses with
names such as anxiety, bitterness, anger, guilt, shame,
greed, & insecurity. They worm their way into your system
& diminish, even disable your mind. We call these DTPs:
“Destructive Thought Patterns.”
Do you
have any DTPs?
• When you see the successful, are you jealous?
• When you see a struggler, are you pompous?
• If someone gets on your bad side, will you ever
let them on your good side?
• Ever argue with someone in your mind? Rehash &
rehearse your hurts?
• Do you assume the worst about your future?
• Ever waste any mental energy on gossip or scheming?
If so…you suffer from DTPs.
Oh to
be DTP free. No energy lost, no time wasted. Wouldn’t
such a person be energetic & wise? A lifetime of healthy
& holy thoughts would render anyone a joyful genius.
But
where would you find such an individual? An uninfected computer
can be bought—but an uninfected person? Impossible.
You can trace a computer virus back to a hacker. You will
trace our mental viruses back to the fall of the first man,
Adam. Because of sin, our minds are full of dark thoughts.
“Although they knew God, they neither glorified God
nor gave Him thanks, but their thinking became futile &
their foolish hearts were darkened.”
(Rom. 1:21-22 NIV)
Blame
DTPs on sin. Sin messes with the mind. But there is a way
to conquer these viruses; God can change a man by changing
his mind. How you ask? By beholding His Glory. “But
we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory…” (II Cor. 3:18)
To behold Him is to become like Him. As Christ dominates
your thoughts, He changes you from one degree of glory to
another until—hang on!—you are ready to live
with Him.
Heaven
is a land of sinless minds. Virus-free thinking; absolute
trust; no fear or anger. Heaven will be wonderful, not because
the streets are gold, but because our thoughts will be pure.
So
what are you waiting for? Apply God’s anti-virus.
“Set your minds on things above, not on things that
are on earth.” (Col. 3:2)
Give Him your best thoughts, & see if He doesn’t
change your mind.
God
richly Bless you,
Pastor Kevin Barner
(click here for
more messages from Pastor Kevin Barner)
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