Change your thinking and CHANGE THE WORLD

According to the U.S. & World Population Clocks there are in the U.S. 313,163,672 people, and the World 6,999,783,975 people – as of 12:15 UTC (EST+5) Mar 11, 2012. Since we know our thoughts have the power to create and change circumstances and trends; just think what an impact 6,999,783,975 Six Billion, Nine Hundred Ninety Nine Million, Seven Hundred Eighty Three Thousand, Nine Hundred Seventy Five “POSITIVE LOVE FILLED THOUGHTS” filling the spiritual airwaves could have on the course of this world and its affairs! YES WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD by simply changing the way we think!!! Do yourself, and the world, a favor today – THINK POSITIVE, LOVE FILLED THOUGHTS!!! Putting away condemnation, doubt, fear and an evil eye. We may not be able to do much about many things; but we can change the way we “THINK” – And that could CHANGE EVERYTHING!!!

There is so much Bad News in the world; this is what the media thrives on, fills our Newspapers, TV’s and PC’s and our days, and so also even fills our casual conversations – we could change that. We may not be able to change the circumstances but we could change what we focus on in our mind and spirit – Bad News or Good News; it’s a CHOICE we can make without escaping reality. The word GOSPEL means GOOD NEWS and we are to BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS. The problem is that there just isn’t that much good news circulating in most of our media these days; because as I said earlier the media and even our conversations seem to focus on Bad News. It is part of the sinful nature we all have. For some reason we are drawn to the Bad instead of the Good. Most people would rather hear some juicy gossip or read about someone’s dirty laundry being publicized. So, Bad News, Fear, heartaches, and headaches are what sell; and so our media, minds, hearts, and words are filled with such negative things. Even in the Church today where we are supposed to hear the Gospel – Good News, and receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit; it’s hard to go away with the feeling that we heard much good news after being threatened with future evil world leaders - antichrists, horrible tribulation period times, the end of the world, and punishment from and angry god who may throw you into an eternal conscience torment in HELL. We do not realize what we are doing “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. I believe a large part of this world’s woes is due to this very simple little (or huge) thing we do – What we choose to think about and believe about the world around us and the God Who created it…. The Gospel really is Good News when understood properly;that is: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World! And He WILL NOT FAIL! That’s Real Good News!

Jesus Christ said at the very beginning of His personal ministry here on earth:

Mark 1:14–15 (NIV)

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. REPENT and BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS!”

The word “repent” here means to change the way you “think”. The Greek in Strong’s Greek Dictionary has G3340. μετανοέω metanoeō; from 3326 and 3539; to change one’s mind or purpose. Vine’s Dictionary of the New Testament has metanoia (μετάνοια, 3341), “afterthought, change of mind, repentance,”

In God’s Word Translation it is translated this way:

Mark 1:14–15 (GW)

14 After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and told people THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD. 15 He said, “The time has come, and the kingdom of God is near. CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK and act and BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS.”

We can do this! It is a choice. We can start today. We don’t have to wait for the sweet by in by when we get to heaven someday. In the passage above Jesus said the time to do this, and believe this is NOW, Has Come, Is Near, Right Then and continuing on till today and onward. In 1935 C.H. Dodda Welsh New Testament scholar, argued that Jesus was saying that the kingdom had already arrived in his ministry. Dodd argued that the saying ought to be translated “The kingdom of God has come.” Many will say “How could this be? I don’t see it” First of all, Jesus said His Kingdom was not of this world” and “The Kindom of God is within you” Luke 17:21 that is, in your heart and mind - the way you think resulting in a change in the way you live. This agrees with the modern paraphrased bible, The Message, it has this:

Mark 1:15 (The Message)

“Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.”

Jesus spoke these words to people living then, about two thousand years ago; surely it is true today! If we would just choose to focus on the Good believing in the Goodness of God and His plan for mankind instead of searching for evil and sin in everything we see and hear we would begin to see a different world mentally and in progressing reality.

We see what we look for….

The Good News of God is that a Good God created a good world and people in His own good image along with a good plan for this creation that cannot fail! The evil and the bad news we see and believe are against the will of God and therefore a lie; because God and His will IS TRUTH! This lie about an evil world going from bad to worse and seeing the evil and sinfulness in everything started in the beginning with the first lie in the Garden of Eden leading people to choose to believe the lies of the enemy – God has deceived us, His plan has failed, the world is not very good but very bad, etc. which has continued until this day.

The Good News is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus Christ came to proclaim victory over the evil one and all of his lies and so become THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD! That’s EVERYTHING and ALL of us! If we would just believe the GOOD NEWS! God’s Redemptive purposes for His Creation are working in our favor even NOW and “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Rom 8:31 God planned on including mankind in the working out of His plan so that we are like Adam given the job of tilling and planting the earth bringing forth life producing more life until the whole earth is turned into the garden of God as in Eden.

1 Corinthians 3:8–10 (NIV)

8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.

Consider what I say; these things are metaphorical for the working of God’s Spirit in the minds and hearts of those who believe and know the Good News Jesus the Christ came speaking:

John 3:17 (NIV)

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

When we truly believe this we will stop thinking about and looking at the world through a negative condemnatory mindset (The knowledge of good and evil) and start seeing it with a new fresh –renewed mind, filled with the Truth, seeing the Truth, Salvation, Redemption, and Goodness of God all around us and sharing this Good News with others. Therefore becoming co-workers with God in His plan of Reconciliation, Redemption, and Salvation for ALL! Which begins with planting the seeds of FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE in the kingdom of God, The Goodness of God and His world, in the Good Plan of God for Creation; planted in the hearts and minds of others. For religious folks this will be a major paradigm shift from the way they have been taught to view and think of the world in such a negative way despite the clear teaching of Christ Jesus to the contrary. As I began this article; it all begins in our thoughts and is planted in the hearts of others as we share these Good News thoughts with others. This is happening NOW if we will just believe the Good News as Jesus Christ admonished us in his ministry here on earth and passed on to others to continue in the Power of the Holy Spirit which is able to penetrate the deepest darkness of anyone we many encounter. “I am not ashamed of the Good News for it is the Power of God unto all who Believe!”  Rom 1:16 So Change your thinking and CHANGE THE WORLD as co-workers with God in this wonderful reconciliation, redemption, and salvation of this very good creation and all these beautiful people Jesus Christ has redeemed through the work of the cross, death and VTORICIOUS resurrection!

Again, as I try to drive this most important point home and how it is so central to the good message of Jesus Christ and His Victorious Salvation of ALL; one more scripture showing that all it takes is a change in what we believe about God’s Good, Very Good, Creation and how we “THINK” about ourselves and everything and everyone around us. I tell you, it is REAL GOOD NEWS, and it is NOW!

2 Corinthians 5:16–6:2 (GW)

16 So from now on we don’t think of anyone from a human point of view. If we did think of Christ from a human point of view, we don’t anymore. 17 Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. 18 God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. 19 In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others. 20 Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God. 21 God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.

1 Since we are God’s coworkers, we urge you not to let God’s kindness be wasted on you. 2 God says,

“At the right time I heard you.

On the day of salvation I helped you.”

Listen, now is God’s acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!

BELIEVE IT!

Rev. Dennis D. Caldwell

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vol. 2: Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (525). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.

Thomas, R. L. (1998). New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries : Updated edition. Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc.