winter conference january 8-9, 2011 renewing your … conference 2011 – renewing your mind –...

Winter Conference January 8-9, 2011

Renewing

Your Mind A New Mental Attitude for a New Year

Table of Contents Who Switched Off My Brain? ............................................................................................ 2

Your Brain has a Library .................................................................................................... 8 Brain Control Center. .......................................................................................................... 9

Brain Clearing House of Thoughts. .................................................................................. 11 THE GREAT DANGER ................................................................................................... 13 NO THOUGHT SHOULD EVER BE ALLOWED TO CONTROL YOU. .................... 14 WE ARE DESIGNED BY GOD FOR DEEP CREATIVE THOUGHT! ........................ 15 The Mind/Health Connection ........................................................................................... 16

Winter Conference 2011 – Renewing Your Mind – Billie Hunt Ministries 2

Winter Conference January 8-9, 2011

Renewing Your Mind

A New Mental Attitude for a New Year

Who Switched Off My Brain? Recently I read a book by Dr. Caroline Leaf, called Who Switched

Off My Brain? Controlling toxic thoughts and emotions. This little

book gave me a whole new outlook on Romans 12:2 and the

renewing of our mind. This weekend this is the topic I want to

discuss. As we face a new year, let’s decide to enter the New Year

with a totally new mindset.

Romans 12:2 Amplified Do not be conformed to this world (this

age), (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial

customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal

of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude), so that you

may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and

perfect will of God.

Let’s look at this verse carefully:

Mind = thinking processes – brain


Conform = pressed into an image from outside forces.

Our mind or brain is constantly being bombarded by

thoughts and ideas from every direction. Each of our five senses

contribute to our thoughts and ideas (sight, touch, taste, sound

and smell).

Your thoughts are a doorway into your intellect and they

influence your emotion and your free will. Therefore, your

thought-life is very important.

If we are to discover God’s will for our life we must learn to

be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

Research indicates that 80% of physical, emotional and

mental health issues today could be a direct result of our thought

lives.

Stress is a global term for the extreme strain on your body’s

systems as a result of toxic thinking.

Proverbs 23:7 As a man thinks in his heart – so is he… Your

thoughts determine your physical and mental and spiritual health.

You can’t change your thinking from outside…. It has to be done

inside:

Transformed = changed from inside. We need to change

the way we process information. We need to change the way we


think and learn to think more wisely so that we can fulfill our

destiny and walk in health!

Renewal of your mind – Science actually tell us that our

brain is constantly changing. Some diseases cause our brain to

shrink, but what God desires an expanding of our brain power and

that’s what we are going to talk about tonight.

Personal Paraphrase: Don’t allow the world to tell you how

to think – don’t embrace their ideas and methods; rather allow

the Holy Spirit to change you from within by developing a new

way of thinking!

The Bible has much to say about our thought life:

Philippians 4:8 KJV Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if

there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 2:5 KJV Let this mind be in you, which was also in

Christ Jesus.

1 Cor. 2:16 But we have the mind of Christ…. We have potential.

But it’s up to you. You must “allow” the mind of Christ to

dominate your thought life.


Our mind is the battlefield where the enemy attacks us!

Therefore, it is very important that we learn to renew our mind.

Renewing your mind is not just a one time thing, it is a constant

work!

I like how the Message Bible reads in 2 Corinthians 10:5

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped

philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of

God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the

structure of life shaped by Christ!

So this weekend, let’s use our powerful God-tools to do

just that! Let’s look at ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to

bring toxic thoughts to the surface and then let’s learn how to

develop a new way of thinking that will guard our mind and

allow the Holy Spirit to constantly renew us taking us from one

degree of glory to another:

2 Corinthians 3:18 Amplified. And all of us, as with unveiled face,

because we continued to behold in the Word of God as in a mirror

the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His

very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree

of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, Who is the

Spirit.


Let’s begin by asking the Lord to “unveil” our eyes and allow us to

recognize the areas that have been affected by “wrong thinking”.

…. Pray…..

In her book “Who Switched Off My Brain” Dr. Caroline Leaf

states that we can change the pathways of thought within four

days and create new pathways within 21 days! She states:

Positive habits and negative habits are built through the exact

same process in your brain, the only difference is the release of

different quantities of chemicals that affect your body.

To Change the way we think, we must understand how our brain

works. So let’s look at the process each thought goes through as

it enters our brain.

Gather.

Our five senses are constantly gathering information into

our brain

As you receive information or thoughts you can decide on

the permanence of that information and whether it becomes a

part of who you are. This process involves your attitude.

Every thought triggers an attitude!


Attitude – An attitude is a state of mind, that influences our

choices and what we say and do as a result of our choices. Every

thought evokes an attitude.

If the attitude is positive, it releases a feeling of peace.

If the attitude is negative it releases negative feelings or

emotions.

I’ve always said that your attitude determines your outcome

and now I find that science agrees with that statement.

Although you can’t control the information coming into

your mind or your environment at all times, you can control how

it affects your brain/your thinking and your body!

Chemicals & Hormones

I found it very interesting that your thoughts inspire your

brain to release chemicals and hormones into your body.

Good thoughts release “feel good” chemicals and

stress related thoughts release negative, disease causing

chemicals into your body.

With every thought there is a …

A Period of acceptance or denial

Here’s the good news…. Every thought (information) is still in a temporary state. It has

not yet lodged itself into your memory or become a part of your Spirit…. There is still

time to adjust your attitude!


Your Brain has a Library Brain Library.(Memory) There is a section in your brain that

stores information. When information enters your brain, it will go

to the library and pull up corresponding information…. Your brain

stores emotional perceptions that occur each time a thought is

built. Memories are built! Every time we build a memory, we

activate emotion. That is why we can actually feel our body’s

reaction to thoughts…rapid heartbeat, adrenalin rush, peace,

fear… all emotions connected to thought information.

Your old nature will pull up former memories and try to tie

them to the thoughts you are receiving. Have you ever noticed

when you are confronted with a thought of someone who has

hurt you in the past, that all the information about those past

hurts will surface? This happens because we did not properly deal

with the thoughts and situations in the past. When toxic or

hurtful memorial surface, we should deal with them at once. We

should repent for any sin on our part and make the decision to

forgive those who have hurt us. We don’t forgive for the sake of

those who have hurt us, bur for our own sakes. Those memories

may still emerge when you think about this person or have

contact with this person, but the act for forgiving with change


your past memories. Rather than experience the hurt, you may

simply remember and be cautious.

I love the scriptures that speak of God’s memories of me.

Hebrews 8:12; Isaiah 43:25 and Jeremiah 31:34 all state that God

refuses to remember my sins and failures. Since I have the mind

of Christ, I believe I can also release those who hurt me and refuse

to hold their past behavior against them.

Your current thoughts also have opportunity to become a

part of this “Brain Library” and influence your future and current

life and relationships.

Brain Control Center. This part of your brain contains reasoning, decision-

making, analyzing and strategizing – executive level functions.

This part of our brain enables us to balance the emotions we

physically experience and allow us to react reasonably. WE CAN

DECIDE NOT TO THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE ANYMORE AND THOSE

TEMPORARY THOUGHTS WILL DISAPPEAR. The choice not to

think about that “temporary” thought simply sends them away.

God considers this “thought” analysis Process part of our

spiritual warfare!


2 Corinthians 10:3 Amplified For though we walk in the flesh, we

are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using

mere human weapons.

4. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical (weapons of

flesh and blood), but they are mighty before God for the

overthrow and destruction of strongholds.

5. Inasmuch as we refute arguments and theories and

reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up

against the true knowledge of God; and we lead every thought

and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the

Messiah, the Anointed One).

Stronghold = The Greek word actually means “fortress”. Spiritual

strongholds are best defined as areas of bondage to Satan, or the

flesh, whether physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual in

origin.

Think for a moment, are there such areas in your life?

If there are, verse 5 gives clear instruction concerning your

“thought life” and spiritual warfare.

We must exercise our will to catch the thought and bring it into

captivity. Dismissing every thought that is destructive.


Brain Clearing House of Thoughts. Here information is classified as either short-term or long-

term importance and is filed in an area that converts temporary

thoughts into permanent information (a lot of this happens at

night while you sleep). Consider how anger seems to grow at

night while you are trying to go to sleep and then consider this

verse:

Ephesians 4:26 Amplified When angry do not sin; do not ever let

your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last

until the sun goes down.

27. Leave no such room or foothold for the devil (give no

opportunity for him).

Psalm 4:4 Be angry and sin not. Commune with your own heart

upon your bed and be silent. Selah!

Thoughts must be handled immediately!

Anger must be handled immediately!

Emotional pain must be handled immediately!

Negative thoughts that are allowed to linger can become a

stronghold!

This is where you make the decision…. Do I want to keep

these thoughts!


Let me quote from Dr. Leaf’s book:

“After the gathering stage, electrical information created by your

thoughts and existing memories brought into consciousness

whoosh through the hippocampus, moving toward the front of the

brain. The information stays in the hippocampus for 24-48 hours

constantly being amplified each time it swirls to the front…

(seleh).

The amplification sets in motion a delightful string of events

so magnificent that it can only reflect the work of our Creator.

This string of events is our free will and decision-making ability, a

true gift!”

At this stage in our thoughts there will be a change. Either

we will get rid of the thought or reinforce it. We choose by using

our free will.

We must “bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of

Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Dr. Leaf states “We can literally tear toxic strongholds down

by choosing to bring the thought into conscious awareness for

analysis and then changing it through repentance and forgiveness

and replacing it with the correct information” (Using the word of

course).


*****Information stays in the Clearing House for 24-48 hours

constantly being amplified each time it swirls to the front of

your thinking!!!!

THE GREAT DANGER IF WE DON’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THE MATTER

If you do not cast down wrong thoughts they will go from

your mind to your heart and become a ‘ROOT OF BITTERNESS”

(Hebrews 12:15)

Our Conversation Originates in Our Heart

and comes from our thoughts!

Matthew 15:19 Amplified For out of the heart come evil thoughts

(reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery,

sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander and irreverent speech.

And

Matthew 12:34 Amplified For out of the fullness (the overflow,

the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.

35. The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good

thing and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth

evil things.


Proverbs 4:23 NLT Guard your heart above all else, for it

determines the course of your life.

MEDITATION (reflection)

Proverbs 15:28 The mind of the uncompromisingly righteous

studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out

evil things.

If we are going to renew our mind, we must get out of any

toxic thinking jam, we need to think, understand and apply

wisdom!

NO THOUGHT SHOULD EVER BE ALLOWED TO CONTROL YOU.

You must learn to master your thinking. I think of the scripture where God is talking to

Cain. (Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin

crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”) Satan cannot get

at your spirit, so he attacks your mind. We must constantly be on alert for Satan’s attacks

on our mind. We must master our thinking. It is our responsibility.

Proverbs 16:1 The plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the wise answer of the tongue. 2. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). 3. Roll your works upon the Lord (commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will and so shall your plans be established and succeed).


WE ARE DESIGNED BY GOD FOR DEEP CREATIVE THOUGHT!

When we think deeply we go beyond just storing facts and answers to storing key

concepts and strategies to help us grow in wisdom.

The Importance of Keeping a Journal

Writing down your thoughts is important because the actual

process of writing

Adds clarity to what you have been thinking about.

It helps you see more clearly the areas of your thinking that

need to be cleansed.

It literally allows you to look at your brain on paper.

As you write in your journal what you are thinking, you

revisit each thought. As the thought comes up into your

conscious mind you have an opportunity to do something with

that thought. You can choose to keep the thought or change it.

You not only look at how you think – but how you need to rethink

through your reactions, evaluating the toxicity levels and

transcribing them.

This is where you REACH BEYOND YOURSELF and make the

decision of your will to forgive – to take control of your thinking –

to walk in obedience.

This is how you renew your mind.


The Mind/Health Connection Proverbs 14:30 Amplified A calm and undisturbed mind and

heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy and

wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 Amplified A happy heart is good medicine and a

cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the

bones

Your mind and body really are inherently linked, and this link

starts with your thoughts so to walk in health, we must keep a

renewed mind.

What’s inside you will determine what is outside you. Eventually

negative thought patterns will affect your health and wellbeing..

Proverbs 4:23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and

above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Amplified.

Dr. Leaf: Chapter 2. Thoughts are basically electrical

impulses, chemicals and neurons. They look like a tree with

branches. As the thoughts grow and become permanent, more

branches grow and the connections become stronger. As we

change our thinking some branches go away, new ones form, the

strength of the connections change, and the memories network

with other thoughts. What an incredible capacity of the brain to


change and rewire and grow spiritually, this is the renewing of the

mind.

As you think, your thoughts are activated, which in turn

activates your attitude, because your attitude is all of your

thoughts put together and reflects your state of mind. This

attitude is reflected in the chemical secretions that are released.

Positive attitudes cause the secretion of the correct amount of

chemicals, and negative attitudes distort the chemical secretions

in a way that disrupts their natural flow. The chemicals are like

little cellular signals that translate the information of your

thought into a physical reality in your body and mind, creating

an emotion. The combination of thoughts, emotions and

resulting attitudes impacts your body in a positive or negative

way.

YOU HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE AFFECTS OF ALL YOUR

THOUGHTS YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!

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