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| Jerusalem Wall and Gate |
Thank you to each of you for sharing your insights, your hearts and the joy of this part of our spiritual journey with all of us. Quotes from the book are in green below. Watch for the next post which will be the study guide questions for chapter 2.
Our Responses
"Wow! what an encouragement I had just from this first chapter, and intro. The analogy of the Jerusalem walls being torn down, leaving those inside vulnerable, really made the vs in Proverbs 24: 30-31 come alive to me for the first time. What we allow into our minds/hearts will surely show it's colors in our actions! I know this is so true in my own life, and I desire to improve! With Gods strength, hallelujah! I can have victory! the quotes, and verses have really blessed me in this chapter as well, . . I am hoping to put some of them to memory! " Feeling inspired~ Heather
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Given followed the study guide and shares her answers here:
I like the analogy of a train because it reminds us that our thoughts take us places.
What is interesting about the analogy
of a river is that our thoughts might rush through, but regardless of how
quickly they goes by it is in the water. Would we drink contaminated water? No.
Yet we allow contaminates in our minds.
We know controlling our thoughts
is our responsibility because we are commanded to “take every thought captive.”
If we didn’t have the ability, God would not command it. He only commands that
which He has already enabled us to do.
The eight themes or “gates”
1. Truth: Thoughts of what actually is (not the
imagined ills)
2. Noble: Thoughts of what could
be (but only those that aspire toward the good)
3. Right: Thoughts of what should
be (what God would desire of a situation)
4. Pure: Thoughts of what ought
to be (Reflecting on the holiness and purity of God, basically what it would be
Heaven come to earth.)
5. Lovely: Thoughts of God and
His creation (all the things that reflect beauty, which is only in existence
because of God, praising and reflecting Him)
6. Admirable: Thoughts of the
things of which we are capable (what things would draw the praise of God and
the upright)
7. Excellent: Thoughts of what we
should aspire to (the ways to do better, those of quality)
8. Praiseworthy: Thoughts of what
is inspiring and motivating (those things that would be commendable)
The benefits of disciplining your
thought life is having a fortified wall between you and the enemy, keeping
their influence and ravage away from your life and your patterns. It changes
the trajectory of your train. It purifies your river so that it is no longer
contaminated and can, further down, be drank from without causing harm.
Historically, what stands out to
me is that the start of Jerusalem’s downfall isn’t in their gates. First, they
neglected to worship God, and because of this they were then susceptible to
their enemies, because as soon as we neglect God we also neglect our walls. Unless
you believe there is something worth holding onto and worth protecting we will lack
the motivation to maintain our walls.
The primary purpose of the gates into
a city is to guard against intrusion be it man or wild beast, it also helps us
identify what is coming and going. Even if there is no definite enemy, it’s a
way of actually noting what is entering your city. It also tells us how healthy
or vibrant our city is, if the only thing coming in is fish, we know we are
probably in need of more commerce.
It’s similar in our minds. Gates
allow us to shut out that which would harm our lives, identify what is coming
and going, and know if we need healthier and more balanced inputs into our
lives.
What are some ways that we can “hang the gates of daily self discipline”? One way is to pause or judge every thought we have and question its right to be in our minds. To question if it fits any of the gate entries, and if it doesn’t, to boot it out, and not allow it safety and entrepreneurship inside our walls. If it is a thought that shouldn’t be there, we need to treat it as an intruder, not as a guest.
By each gate, write down what
kind of thoughts should be admitted there:
The Truth Gate- thoughts about how
God is a patient and has our best at heart
The Noble Gate-thoughts of ways
to help others by being God’s hands and feet
The Right Gate-thoughts of how to
forgive despite the person being unrepentant
The Pure Gate-thoughts about being
light and not having sin in our lives
The Lovely Gate-thoughts about
how incredible are sunrises and night skies
The Admirable Gate-thoughts about
sending money to get Bibles to those without one
The Excellent Gate-thoughts about
how to do a better job at speaking kindly
The Praiseworthy Gate-thoughts
about building a home to house orphans
What two things destroy the gates
and walls of our minds? (p. 14)
War and neglect are the two
things that destroy our walls (which means that we have to be continually
checking our walls, making sure there are no breaches, and that we need to
rebuild after there have been breaches).
I claim the promise that if God
commands it, He also has to have already given us the access to what we need to
do it.
Given
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okay -- i loved the quote in the beginning of the introduction --
"Every man has a train of thought on which he travels when he is alone (whew -- ouch!). The dignity and nobility of his life, as well as his happiness, depend upon the direction in which that train is going, the baggage it carries, and the scenery through which it travels."
you know, this "thoughts" thing is truly a great need in my life . .. this winter i have struggled with depression and self-contempt to such a horrible degree -- and i am just seeing how much it is related to the battle of the thoughts . . !
like it says on page 3: "(Our thoughts) never end. They rush along in a flood . . ." i long to shut them up at times . . .
"What we think inevitably becomes what we do." p.4
and page 7 -- having been there in plains of Megiddo last summer--
and to see the valley of the future site of Armageddon -- it was
very sobering -- the deceptive peace and beauty of the
battlefield . .. and the same can be in my life -- and in
yours? the outward mask of tranquility when the battle is/will
soon be raging fierce underneath . . .
and this: "it's a lifelong mission to exclude the harmful and welcome the beneficial" -- i like that . .
i like the picture of my mind as a city that needs walls and gates -- and to only allow some "visitors" to enter my city . . . .
"it is spiritual warfare" -- and i find that if i let down my guard for a few days my defenses are weakened . . . i need spiritual armor - every day!
Hope
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I enjoyed the quotes sprinkled through the chapter! Like: "Good thoughts are blessed guests, and should be heartily welcomed, well fed and much sought after. Like rose leaves they give out a sweet smell if laid up in the jar of memory." - Charles Spurgeon
And Robert Frost's - "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know what I was walling in or walling out."
And I really liked the analogy of gates - the word pictures he draws and the descriptions and comparisons he gives - they help me take it in and digest it. Jesus used word pictures in his teaching a lot - I find it very helpful! He talks about two ways that the wrong things get into our minds - violence (the enemy) and neglect. I think I am beset by both. I've known the verses on your thoughts for years and just assumed it was too narrow, too hard to control, not realistic. It makes me sad to think what enemies are probably resident inside my walls. "I went past the field of the sluggard...the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins." Proverbs 24:30-31 I was encouraged by his saying that like Nehemiah, the walls and gates can be rebuilt in 52 days! I need to get past my lazy lethargy and rebuild! This book is giving me hope that it can be done.
We just started Behind the Ranges by Mrs. Howard Taylor - the story of the missionary J.O.Frazer. This description of his grandfather reminded me of my Dad and made me want to be like this: "With all this he had a fund of quiet humour (his daughter recalls) and enjoyed fun immensely, so long as it was harmless. I never heard him say an unkind word of anyone. His sensitive, refined nature showed itself in his very appearance....There was a quiet dignity in his bearing that came of high moral character and a nature in which nothing mean or selfish ever found place. He carried with him an air of purity and nobleness, so much so that anything unworthy was rebuked by his very presence. Yet his humility was just as manifest. Tender-hearted though he was, his moral and physical courage were very marked. He never shirked anything he felt to be his duty. To my young heart, his loving nature interpreted our Heavenly Father's love." (From ch.2) I imagine he was careful with his thoughts or this kind of character wouldn't have followed! "Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny." - Tyron Edwards
And a verse from one of the hymns in church this morning went with our theme:
My tho'ts, be-fore they are my own
Are to my God distinctly known;
He knows the words I mean to speak,
Ere from my ope-ning lips they break.
Sobering, but also encouraging! He is there inside my head - I need to live with that consciously in mind.
Patti
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Sound thinking is essential to sound living!
We must install the gates and provide the muscles to police the gate way. "Kate"
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I loved reading about the history of Israel. The author put it in a very concise order easy to follow.
As I read the description of Nehemiah where he is building the wall with one hand and holding the sword in the other I was blessed with the thought that we need to use the sword of the spirit (Eph 6) which is the word of God to come against the "many thoughts" we have each day. Not only that but tocontinue our studies in the word and believe in the promises that are given to us.
The analogy of the city wall as our mind is very powerful. The wall is there to protect. If we do not protect our mind by filtering our thoughts, we will worry, be fearful, be frustrated, be critical, and misread many situations that we find ourselves.
It is encouraging to see that if we have allowed a part of our mind become a spiritual wasteland we can rebuild in "52 days"( p12-14). Using promise verses and taking captive our thoughts. The last paragraph sums it up very well.
I have prayed many times that Verse in Isaiah 55:8-9 "Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts and your ways are higher than my ways." Lord may I be able to set aside my thoughts and have your thoughts.
Looking forward to more.
Blessings, Cathy
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Great introduction to the book! I'm looking forward to getting into the meat of the study!
Cherish
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I was struck by the significance of the order of the Truth as the first gate...It is a simple and yet profound reality. Firstly Because Christ is the TRUTH and the foundation stone for everything we base our salvation on. Secondly because Truth encompasses all that IS...the good and the bad. And YET it is not an emotion...Truth for the christian is for instance "even what the enemy means for evil God turns to good for those who love HIM." Everything here is temporal and yet our lives are all about significance spiritually. The paradoxes are not annulled but rather illuminated when in "His light we see light.".It effects everything from how we view God to how we view our relationships with people to how we do the dishes...the enemy is the opposite. The Father of lies...esp. in relationships I have found pausing to ask "is this true?" in my thoughts and doubts or fears of others this week, to waylay a whole boatload of pain and turmoil. If we put our emotions in the light of HIS TRUTH instead of letting them rule the battle ground of mind and soul our faith in His promises is strengthened and we live out of confidence in Him and His goodness instead of a jaded view because of the pain that is "true" around us. The truth illuminated by His truth and built on the foundation of truth follows on to be noble, right, pure, lovey, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy...Not through wishful thinking but through the TRUTH of Christ that sets us free, transforms our minds, and the glory of HIS TRUTH that will last through ALL ETERNITY...!! I want to build my life on that foundation of truth, especially in my thoughts, so that how I live and move and have my being is rooted and grounded in the Love that is solid and unchanging no matter what "truth" of circumstance comes my way..
Rachael
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I liked the verse Psalm 27:1b "The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid."
Mary
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And now for chapter 2....
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