Title: The Power of the Mind
Text/ Proverbs 4:23, 16:32, 25:28
1. Introduction
The economy is very unstable due to the global financial crisis. In addition, our society is in turmoil and depression due to the Kang Ho-sun serial murder case - the Yongsan redevelopment tenant disaster - the Hwawangsan silver grass burning festival disaster - the bankruptcy of small and medium-sized enterprises - the mass increase of the unemployed. As the situation becomes more difficult like this, we believe that Jehovah God will be with us wherever we go, as long as we believers strengthen our “heart”, be courageous, not afraid, not surprised, and single-mindedly faithful to their mission (Joshua 1) :7-9).
This morning, I would like to share grace while meditating on the topic of “Strength of the Heart”. So, let's read the text first.
* Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). * He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his heart than he who takes a city 16:32) *The crucible refines silver and the furnace refines gold, but the LORD tests the heart (Proverbs 17:3) *For whatever the heart thinks, so is the great man (Proverbs 23:7) He who does not control his heart is like a city that is broken down and has no walls (Proverbs 25:32).
2. Oh, heart!
From the first words of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), to “Truly, truly, I am coming quickly. Amen, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). It is the meeting of the heart of God and the heart of man.
I said, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament reveals the work of his hands. Day speaks to day, and night conveys knowledge to night; there is no language, and there is no sound, but their voice goes through all the earth, and their word reaches the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4). I think it is a word that refers to the heart. To reach the ends of the world without a language and without a sound! What is it? I think that is the heart of God, and the heart of a man made in the image of God. Therefore, God and man can communicate from heart to heart.
3. The power of the mind
Even if you eat the same grass, if a cow eats it, it produces milk, and if a snake eats it, it produces poison. Even the same sword becomes a bow-sword (活人劍) or 殺人劍 (killer-sword). There are people who help the unemployed, and there are people who cheat and bully the unemployed.
*He who believes in his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26) *Listen, earth, I will bring calamity upon this people, the result of their thoughts (Jeremiah 6:19) *The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. (Jeremiah 17:9-11) A good person brings forth good out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil person brings forth evil out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks out of the fullness of the heart (Luke 6:45) * Those who are after the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are after the Spirit think of the things of the Spirit. :5-6).
second. The mind has the power to change. The mind has the power to change in an instant - in a single word - in a single moment of enlightenment. All those who were called of God (Abraham of Ur of the Chaldeans, Moses of the thorns, Jacob of the stone pillow, all the prophets, the 12 disciples, the apostle Paul of Damascus, the woman of Sychar, Nicodemus, and the thief hanging on the right hand side of the cross of Jesus. , all those who have heard the gospel and accepted Jesus today) are those witnesses.
*The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15) *Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2) *Have this mind in you, that is, the mind of Jesus Christ (Phil 2:5-11) *The noble man plans famous things, and he is always famous. I will stand at work (Isaiah 32:8).
third. The strength of the heart can grow by cultivating the way that Jesus told us (Mark 2:2). That's why the Apostle Paul said, "But speaking the truth in love, you may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, which is Christ" (Ephesians 4:13-16).
In Eastern terms, Mencius said, “No matter how difficult the situation, nurture the spirit of 浩然之 (a bright and clear energy filled with heaven and earth - a fair and just moral spirit - a free and generous spirit) to remain immovable.” Gong Ja-jin (1792-1841) wrote about the mind of the heart When he is exalted, his deeds are exalted; when his heart is high, his words are exalted; when his actions and words are exalted, he is exalted). The strength of the mind is not fixed, it is nurtured.