How often throughout a day do you let negative, lying, doubtful thoughts, enter your thinking and embracing, welcoming them as demonstrating by constantly mulling over them again and again whether they be real or not. We are constantly thinking, and we have an evil vicious foe, who knows he cannot have our soul, but seeks to distort God to us and distract us from devotion to Him and be ineffective for His kingdom business and this he does with “doubts… accusations… condemnation… fears… anxious” thoughts to us. The constant probing, seeking that we embrace these destructive, wicked thoughts, to deviate us from the LORD and who we are “In Christ.”

 

God’s goal for us on this earth which is to love HIM and LOVE OTHERS for His sake! The purpose of our mind is to love God and others. – {Read Luke 10:27-28}. To do this, we must be “born again,” and since you have, now it’s about renewing your thinking to see and do life from His perspective, empowered by His Holy Spirit within you. Think on it this way, if you were fishing and catching fish consistently would you change the bait, lure, you are using? No, you would not. Why not? Because it is working, the fish are enticed and caught! So in the spiritual realm the evil one as Paul says in Ephesians 6:16 uses “fiery arrows” “thoughts” to undermine our faith, he uses “doubts” about God, His Word, who you are “In Christ,”  thoughts to captivate our attention and in continuing to dwell on these “doubt’s” we become distracted, at time demoralized as we look at life apart from the LORD and who He is and what He has done and says! “But God…” has provided His Son, His Word, truth to combat the evil fiery arrows such as doubt and accusation and condemnation to our mind. When the “thought” comes, recognize it reject it and replace it with his Word and dwell, think, think, think word for word, phrase for phrase about what He says for it is TRUTH and Truth Liberates us. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” -{John 8:31-32}

God’s Word is what the Holy Spirit uses to continually free us from false concepts, and the ability to identify the evil one’s devices and to walk in the liberty that is ours “in Christ,” that we are no longer prisoners of the evil one or slaves to sin. We are free “In Christ,” and have the power not to succumb, yield to “Doubt’s” that call into question God, His character, His Word. But we choose Him, and His Word and they shine the truth on doubts and they have no more power over us unless we choose to give them that power which will always lead down into despair, anxieties, fears and such thoughts of spiritual slavery! “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”- {Gal 5:1}. “Stand firm” in who God is and has revealed Himself. Stand firm on His Word. Stand firm on who He has made you “In Christ!” Stand firm in the TRUTH! Doubts are exposed and dissolved in Truth when truth is embraced and applied! Doubts arise from where? “The father of lies” and are the enemy of God, calling His character and Word into question as unreliable. To embrace the doubts is to say and believe that satan is to be trusted and to live as though “doubts” against God, His Word and your position “In Christ,” are “truth’ to be believed as the ultimate authority! Such “belief” and it is a belief, destabilizes you mentally, emotionally and ultimately dishonors God! To embrace doubts as “true,” you must reject God, His Word and the history you have with Him of showing His faithfulness to you!  When such “doubts” come to mind recognize the lie, reject them and choose to replace with His WORD, meditating, applying it! Doubt your doubts and believe God! Believe His Son, Believe His Word, for that honors Him! “Doubt your doubts and believe God!”

 Doubt’s will come but remember you do not have to submit or dwell on them. You have the power to choose what you DWELL on! It has been said, you cannot stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from taking it’s time and building a nest on your head. You can’t stop negative, doubtful. Evil thoughts coming to you, but like not giving a bird TIME to build the nest on your head, don’t give these “doubtful,” thoughts the TIME. Remember the verse from Philippians 4:8 what to “DWELL” on? Dwell on doubts? Lies? Fearful anxious thoughts? No! Dwell on “Truth!”  Keep thinking and thinking and thinking on the TRUTH. And His promise is, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.“- {John 8:31-32}. Objective truth liberates.  You are already free in Christ, from a life of submitting to “doubts,” condemnation, sin as your master, but to experientially know you have the power to live free, no longer a slave to old habit patterns of thoughts and deeds. God uses His Word to show you your freedom from the power of sin and instead how to live in that freedom, empowered by the indwelling Spirit. When Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, he came out walking, he was alive! And Jesus told them to take the grave clothes off him. Why? A living person has no need of dead clothes, they hinder their movement! So too you are “alive” in Christ and the “grave clothes,” those “old ways,” thoughts, habit patterns only hinder you and this is why we must be renewing our mind through His Word. You do not need to live in dead clothes! You are alive to God -{Romans 12:2.}.

Subjective feelings that are not in alignment with His Word can tie you up in mental and emotional knots and lead to building your life on “sand.” And as a result, being tossed and turned as you are building your life not on His Word, but on “error,” false teaching and belief system, “sand.” Also living by what you “feel,” as your ultimate authority in how you gauge life, God, and what is “true,” will lead to a roller coaster life of emotional “high’s “ and “low’s” primarily based on circumstances  and how you “feel” and view life not through His Word but “feelings,”  even in the Name of the LORD. For example, consider some “doubt’s” such as if you “feel” God doesn’t love you, then you conclude, “God doesn’t love me! If you “Feel, God doesn’t forgive you, then you conclude, I am not forgiven! If you “feel” God doesn’t care for you the you conclude God doesn’t care because if He did why would He let this thing happen or not do something to help. If circumstances or trials come into your life you conclude God is angry with you as you assume the pleasure of God upon your life means trouble free living. You may not say that, but you believe it based on what? The “doubts, “that arise in your thinking, the complaining you do. So, the life is controlled by “doubts” uncertainties, and those negative feelings which are not based on The Truth about God from His Word of Truth, but are lies! So, in reality you often live your life believing lies and in doing so are trusting the author of those lies, the devil and not God! Do you find yourself appalled even defensive over such a statement. That is not you! But look how you live at times and at times it is the pattern of your life, that you no longer need to submit to. It is not your new life in Christ.

DOUBTS IN DIFFICULTIES; When difficulties come, at times do you find yourself falling back into a “works mentality” to merit favor with God? Appealing to your “quiet time,” church attendance ,sacrifices, good deeds as to why HE SHOULD NOT allow suffering, trials, difficulties, hardships in your life. Not realizing according to Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-5 and John 15:1-2 God uses trials to mature His people, strengthen their faith and make them more fruitful in serving others and this He does through love, “Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.“- {Romans 5:3-5}

I have a dear friend who was sharing of a family member going through a difficult time and said they “know” all that, concerning the truth., but were not doing, applying what they knew. It is one thing to “know” it but that is not the same as doing it which shows you believe it!  When we “know“ it, but don’t do it, what does that say about us? “ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – {James 1:22}. We “deceive” who? Ourselves! It is one thing to have doubts and be pointed out the truth but to say you “know” that and then continue on living in “doubt” is not to have knowledge that produces change. It is to deny the Truth and live in error, self-deception! What a troublesome life of emotional turmoil and bondage and lack of peace such a life produces, with increasing susceptibility to doubts, anxiety, despair and lack of certainty! Jesus Christ did not die for you to live in such sin, bondage. He died to set you free and you are free. You just must live in the truth, know the truth, do the truth! And if you fail? Thank God for the truth, His blood cleanses you from all unrighteousness, you can start again seeking to develop new thought and habit patterns according to His Word. He has given you everything pertaining to life and Godliness and precious and magnificent promises to strengthen, encourage and embolden you to live this new life that has been gifted to you! Crucify your doubts or they will crucify you! Christ crucified a life of doubts, so you could live a life in truth and spiritual freedom trusting Him, loving Him and loving others!! “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”-{Romans 6:4} A New life, a new beginning, a new power, a new standing with God! You are new creation in Christ! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” –{2 Cor 5:17}. You are not who you once were! And you will never be that person again!

I once heard a story of a soldier who had left the military and one day while walking in town, hos old cruel sargent stepped out from a shop and ordered the ex-soldier to pick up his groceries, carry them and  put in his car. And out of habit, fear, he did so. LATER ON HE Realized that he was no longer under the sergeants authority, he was no longer in the military, he was free from that life. Again, on another day the same scenario happened. The ex soldier was walking and the Sargent coming out of a store barked orders at him to pick up his groceries and put them in his car. This time the ex soldier recognized and realized he was no longer under the sergeant’s authority and refused to do so telling him he no longer had authority over him! Good for him. This story reflects sometimes how we react, to doubts, fears, we accept them like the ex soldier thinking we must embrace them and act as we used to in the way we attempted to handle them. But no! You are no longer under satan’s jurisdiction. “…For He {The Father} has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” -{Colo 1:13-14}.

You have been set free and need to live in your freedom developing new thought and habit patterns matching your new position, new power in Christ!  The power of the doubts. Lie gains strength when you yield to them. They have no power over you, none “In Christ!”

Remember, what He says is all that counts! Count on what He says! Think on what He says so you can enjoy all He has for you, “in Christ,” and do what He says!

Your Standing with God is perfect.

It is your Understanding that you need to and can grow in, concerning your Standing with God!

His Word and Spirit enable you to do so. That’s good, great, terrific news!

RETRAIN your thinking and where better to start than on JESUS CHRIST and what He has done… RAISED from the dead… and the implications to your life and that of others you can share with!

 

HOW DID JESUS DEAL WITH DOUBTS?

  1. – With Thomas we see he would not believe when the Peter disciples said they had seen Jesus. ” Now Thomas (also known as Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” -{John 20:24-29}

Stop Doubting and do what? “BELIEVE!” The way to deal with Doubts is to BELIEVE. Have faith! Faith in Him!

2. THE TWO DESPONDENT MEN ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS,

They had left Jerusalem and were “despondent,”  Jesus had died and He having been raised form the dead and walks alongside them and hiding who

“One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;  but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning  but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus. 

 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. “-{ Luke 24:18-27}

“Slow to Believe.” What?” All that the prophets have spoken. He referred to The Word of God!   He reminded them of the promise of God, He reveals Himself in all the Scripture

BELIEVE

THE SCRIPTURES

LOOK FOR JESUS IN THE SCRIPTURES!

 From these two passages Jesus deals showing how to DEFEAT Doubt…

  1. Stop Doubting… You have the ability to do so!
  2. Start Believing Him. Start Exercise Faith. Believing He calls Blessed!
  3. Believe- Take Him at His Word.
  4. Look For Jesus as you Read The Scriptures.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”-{Luke 24:27}.

TRAIN YOUR THINKING…TO THINK ON GOOD NEWS. Ask the LORD to remind you throughout the day. PICK a verse and memorize, meditate upon it such as 2 Tim 2:8 or Romans 4:25. Write it out and perhaps put on your bathroom mirror and for the next month every time you brush your teeth you will read it and before you know it, you will have memorized to recall and fuel for the HOLY Spirit to help you bring to remembrance…to strengthen your faith, exalt, praise Jesus Christ and motivation to share this GOOD NEWS with others both believers and no believers that they too may know Him and worship Him in truth and spirit.

REMEMBER CONTINUALLY TODAY… JESUS CHRIST… RAISED FROM THE DEAD! Paul says, “THIS IS MY GOSPEL”… MY GOOD NEWS! {2 Timothy 2:8}

If you must “think” today, and you do, “think” on the TRUTH about Jesus Christ and remember His Resurrection and the hope it imparts to you and to be shared by you with others of the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST, RAISED FROM THE DEAD!

Think on some “Good news” for a change today and the good news we can always think on the HOPE of His resurrection and the implications for us!

 

“Doubt your doubts and believe God!”