A BREEZE THROUGH THE TREES

Introduction: 1 Thess.5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Today I want to put emphasis on the mind. We will look at some things about the brain and other things that make up the human mind. Then we will look at some things about the soul & spirit that affect our mind, and then how we can renew or change our mind to think as God thinks!

1. THE BRAIN

• Every thought has a corresponding electrochemical reaction in the brain.
• At any moment your brain is creatively performing about 400 billion actions, of which you are only conscious of about 2000.
• When you feel happy, your brain has released specific types of chemicals called endorphins.
• Research shows that about 87% of illnesses can be attributed to your thought life.
• Medical science has directly linked emotions, such as depression, to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease.
• If you have been repeatedly verbally abused by someone at work, or sexually abused as a child, all the thoughts associated with those experiences will release negative chemicals. Included in them is a hormone called CRH. People who commit suicide have 10 times as much as those who do not. CRH travels to the pituitary gland and stimulates the release of ACTH, which races to the adrenal gland, on top of the kidneys and it releases cortisol and adrenaline.
• On the other hand, if you have been appreciated and praised a lot the body releases chemicals, among which is endorphins.

• You have about 100 trillion neurons and each is capable of growing up to 70,000 branches. That is enough storage space for three million years. At the end of each neuron there are branches called dendrites which continually receive and integrate information coming from the five senses.
• Whether your thoughts, emotions and attitudes are positive or negative, they are represented in the body as electrochemical reactions. You are made up of two systems: chemical (endocrine system) and electrical (nervous system). That means the currency of your body is electromagnetic energy and chemicals. Both these are involved with every thought, attitude and actions that occur in your body!
• Dr. Caroline Leaf in WHO SWITCHED OFF MY BRAIN calls thoughts a breeze through the trees.

2. THE MIND

• The mind is more than the brain. If you remember our circles representing the spirit, soul and body, you will remember that the soul contains the mind.
• The mind is made up of the brain with all of its parts, but also includes attributes of the soul – will & emotions. It also contains intuition from the human spirit (Soul & Spirit make up the inner person – 2 Cor.4:16).
• Rom.12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God.”
• Eph. 4:23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

3. RENEWAL FROM WITHIN

• We are born from above – John 3:3, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  John 3:5 “…unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” 2 Cor.5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
• We are told to put off the old and put on the new. Eph.4:22, “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” Eph.4:24 “and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
• Read – Memorize – Declare what the Word of God says. As you do this you are solidifying it in your soul and brain. When you hear something but you do not do anything with it within 24-72 hours, your glial cells in the brain erase that piece of information.
• Cultivate hearing in your spirit. The Spirit of God lives in your spirit. He speaks from there, often from intuition, and encourages us into action. (Elijah – 1Kgs.19:12)
• Forgive those who have offended you. Matt.6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Forgiving other people has a positive effect on the brain – endorphins – to hold unforgiveness, anger and resentment causes the brain to hold things like adrenaline, and cortisol stays in the body too long and they cause negative things to happen to the body.