Philippians Chapter 2

Philippians 2:19-24 ~ The Importance of the Occupation of the Attention of the Mind Part 1

includes Matthew 6:24-34

"The Bible says As a person thinks so is he. I am influenced by what I watch on TV, the electronic games we play, the people we are around, the literature we read. It is all influencing our thoughts, who we are, and how we respond to life. It is a very precious thing that we have, and we have to watch out that we are not taken away and distracted from the things of Christ."

Philippians 2:19-24 ~ The Importance of the Occupation of the Attention of the Mind Part 2

includes Luke 8:4-15

"Remaining under the trials cultivates the soil and causes the effectiveness of God's Word to bring forth fruit. God's Word is there implanted within me for God's Spirit to transform my mind and renew my mind. So Satan says, 'Let us get occupied all week long with the things of this life, the things of yourself. Let us put the effectiveness of the Word aside. You don't want to meditate on that."

Philippians 2:19-24 ~ The Importance of the Occupation of the Attention of the Mind Part 3

includes Luke 10:38-42

"We are not talking about going to a Bible study because God's Spirit could not be in it; it could not be a ministry of God's Spirit to people's hearts and minds; it could not be changing and transforming and healing people in their minds. We can be involved in a setting where we are studying the Bible like it is a textbook.  If God's Spirit is not in it, if God's Spirit is not making it alive, if God's Spirit is not speaking to us, then it is a vain, empty, activity.  Period.  There is only one thing necessary, sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His Word."

Philippians 2:19-24 ~ The Importance of the Occupation of the Attention of the Mind Part 4

includes I Corinthians 7:29-35

"Now Christianity is not psychology. It is not the power of positive thinking. It is not practicing certain psychological principles. But a relationship with the Lord so personal that we have interaction with Him in our minds. Paul taught once I have received Christ all of life takes place in the arena of my psyche (ψυχή, psuchē)."

Philippians 2:19-24 ~ The Importance of the Occupation of the Attention of the Mind Part 5

includes I Peter 5:5-9

"This is not psychology.  This is pointing out that once Christ dwells in your spirit, the ψυχή (psuchē) is now the arena. All of life is taking place in the arena. And the battle is for the attention of the mind. Do I choose to get obsessed with this thing that is knocking on my door? Or do I choose to entrust it to the Lord and let Him take care of it. I must keep my arena clean and clear so that I can seek and receive and interact with the things of Christ."

Philippians 2:19-24 ~ The Importance of the Occupation of the Attention of the Mind Part 6

includes Philippians 4:1-7

"Paul is appealing for them to think the same thing in the Lord. That does not mean think same thoughts. It means that the frame of mind must be the same. To have the frame of mind of wanting whatever the Lord wants. So, if we are satisfied in Him, then we are not going to have divisions. We will have differences of opinions but not divisions because we are willing to give up whatever our opinion is, whatever our feeling is, for the sake of Christ and whatever He wants."

Philippians 2:19-24 ~ The Importance of the Occupation of the Attention of the Mind Part 7

includes Philippians 4:8

"There is a basic principle in Scripture that we have to understand, As a person thinks so is he. If in his mind he is thinking, "I am doing all of this to entrap you," then what you are seeing is not the truth. What they are thinking is who they really are. And you might be getting a different version, the sales presentation of who a person really is."