The 4 steps to overcome negative thoughts

I had a vision and I feel the urgency to share this with you today. I saw a vision of someone being attacked by arrows that were flying from different directions. To my understanding, these arrows represent words or thoughts that are not good. And the person have been attacked by all these kinds of thoughts and words that are not supposed to be there, that are not right for the person, and that would cause the person to feel bad about himself or herself. 

Now, the enemy will always tell you that you're not good enough to be blessed, e.g. "I'm not holy enough", "I'm not spiritual enough", "I'm a disappointment", "Everyone is disappointed with me", "I'm such a failure", "Everything failed in my hands", "I've not done enough", "It's never enough", "I don't deserve good things, because I'm not good enough", "God will not bless me, because I'm not good enough". And the list goes on. Sounds familiar? 

Do not underestimate all these negative thoughts. These are arrows that are flying at you. Do not let them grow into your thought life. We all know that having the wrong self-perception and giving in to the depressing emotion will only bound you in self-defeat mindset. They prevent you from receiving God's blessing. They deter you from moving forward. And that is definitely not God's will for you. 

To tell you the truth, having people attack you with negative thoughts/words is not as bad as you having those thoughts or words inside of you, and entertaining them. What is from the outside, it's not as scary as what is in the inside, when you agree with them. 

Do not agree with those negative words or those bad words that are being said about you. You know, when we pray, we say: "Amen". That means we choose to agree with the Word of God, and with the prayer that's being prayed. And to say: "Amen" is to say: "Yes, I agree", and to let it be done. But when we have negative thoughts inside of us, it is your authority and your right to choose to rise up against those negative thoughts, and to say "No" to them. 

So, let us resolve all these wrong mindsets together. First, you have to know that no one is perfectly good. In Romans 3:22-23, we are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. 'And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned, and we all fall short of God's glorious standard'. First of all, none of us is born perfectly good. Because all of us have fallen short of God's standard. Think about it. Whether it's only a small drop of sewage water, or a big scoop of sewage water being mixed in a bottle of drinking water, it is deemed contaminated. You won't want to drink from it. So, whether who is better or who is worse, whether who's sinned more or who's sinned lesser, no one can judge others. Hey, stop being harsh on yourself too! Yeah? 

And next. It's our faith in God that helps us fulfill His standard. Romans 3:31 says, 'Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law'. Well, how is our faith in God help us fulfill His standard? When you have faith in God, you receive His saving grace, His righteousness, His enabling, and the personal guidance of His Holy Spirit. We will talk more about this later. 

Now I want you to remember the next four steps, that whenever you have thoughts that are attacking you, that cause you to be down or feel condemned, or feel not good enough, or feel sad, or feel depressed, remember these four steps and apply them into your life. And this is what I've been doing since young. And it works for me. And I pray that it will work the same for you. 

1. Take authority

In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you." 

Whatever negative or pessimistic words that you hear in your mind, take authority and bind them in the name of Jesus. Do not agree with them. Do not entertain them. Take authority immediately. For example, if it's fear, say it out loud: "I bind you, spirit of fear, in the name of Jesus." If it's something that keeps telling you that certain accidents will happen to you, take authority and say, "I bind you, spirit of accident, in the name of Jesus. No accident will happen to me." If it's suicidal thought, speak against it with authority, "I bind you, suicidal spirit! I bind you, spirit of depression! You are not from the Lord. I reject you. And get away from me!" Rise up and take authority for yourself, because Jesus has given you the authority to do so. Amen! 

2. Speak God's Word to yourself

Jeremiah 29:11 says, 'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.' Now, this is a Bible verse that many of us know. But how many of you really think deep about it? How many of you really agree with it? Let's agree with it today. 

Whenever a negative thought comes to you, or whenever you have a thought that says that you are not good enough, or God will not be good to you; after you have taken authority over all those negative thoughts, don't just chase away negative thoughts and leave your mind empty. If God's thoughts toward you are with hope and future, fill your mind with what God says about you. 

After taking authority over the negative thoughts in your mind, start speaking the anointed words of God that are related to your situation to yourself. For example, if it's fear, speak 2 Timothy 1:7 to yourself: "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but He has given me a Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind." If it's the sense of inability or failure, speak Philippians 4:13 to yourself: "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me!" 

After speaking the Word of God to yourself, you will immediately feel the difference in your mind, in your emotion, and also in the spiritual atmosphere around you. Trust me in this. It works. 

3. Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit

1 John 2:27 says, 'But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true - it is not a lie. So, just as He has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.' 

You know there's a reason that Jesus said He had to go, so that the Holy Spirit will come to all of us. If you would allow Him, the Holy Spirit would teach you and guide you in every area of your life. He will teach you to have the right thoughts and mindsets, because He will always remind you of the Word of God. It's through the Spirit of God and by the Word of God that your mindset can be transformed. And with the right mindset, you will make the right decision for yourself. And that will eventually change your life condition and situation. So, allow the Holy Spirit to involve in every area of your life. 

4. Don't compare yourself with others, and learn to be contented

Galatians 6:4 says, 'Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.' 

Now, many of us have read this Bible verse before. But many of us also do not give much attention to this Bible verse. You see, one of the many reasons people having the mindset of "I'm not good enough" is due to pride and ego. Ouch! I know this hurts, but you know, it's true. 

I remember a Chinese saying, that says, 'There will always be a mountain higher than another'. It means there will always be someone else who is better than us. So, do not feel bad if there are others who are better than you in different aspects. If God's people would just mind their own business, spend their own personal time with God, ask for God's specific direction for their lives, seek to improve themselves, and not comparing themselves to others, they will be happier people, whatever vocation you are in, whether you have your own business, you're working nine to five job, or you are in ministry.

If you learn to apply Galatians 6:4 into your own life, you will definitely be happy people. Well, I always believe that to be able to feel contented will lead to a happy life and a happy mind. 

So, whenever you feel overwhelmed by negative thoughts, remember all these steps. 

First, take authority over those thoughts, those negative thoughts, fearful thoughts, threatening thoughts. Take authority over them. Second, speak God's Word to yourself. Speak whatever God's Word that will replace all those negative thoughts. Third, ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. It's only the Holy Spirit who can change a person inside-out. So, ask for His help, and He will help you, even to the small detail. Only He knows every thought of your mind, and so He can help you to overcome them. Finally, don't compare with others, and learn to be contented.

Let's pray together: "God, I pray for understanding for us who are here. Bring us to the understanding that we are saved and blessed because of our faith in You, and not because we have done good or well enough to deserve them. As we put our faith in You Lord, You are transforming our thoughts, changing us and perfecting us through Your Word and Your Spirit. As we focus on Your work in our lives, not comparing ourselves with others, and learn to be contented, we will learn the secret to a happier life. We thank You for Your love and grace upon us. In Jesus' name. Amen." 

That's all my message for this time. If you think that this message will be helpful to others too, please share this with them. Thank you. God bless you. Have a nice day!

You can watch this teaching video by clicking here in TiC YouTube Channel

Speak and receive your breakthroughs!

The Lord says these words to His people,
“From now on, speak, profess and proclaim My words to receive your breakthroughs! Rise up and take your position in Me. Command with My words to take hold of your circumstances.”

Have you been wanting to see a change in yourself and in your circumstances? If the answer is a 'yes', it is now crucial for you to inculcate the habit of speaking God's words over your life!

You might ask, "Why do I need to speak out God's words?" or "Can't I just meditate His words silently in my mind?"
Well, there must be a reason to do so considering that...
~ God spoke everything into existence (see Genesis 1)
~ God told Ezekiel to speak to the dry bones and they lived (see Ezekiel 37:1-14)
~ Jesus spoke to the wind and to the sea to stop the windstorm (see Matthew 8:23-27)
~ Peter spoke to Aeneas for healing to take place (see Acts 9:32-35)
~ Paul spoke with authority to deliver the possessed slave girl (see Acts 16:16-18). 

Now, if words are so important, what have you been speaking to yourself? What have you been speaking regarding yourself to others? What have you been speaking over your own circumstances?

It is written in Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) that, 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.' So, choose to speak good words, especially to yourself. Moreover, it is written in Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) that, 'Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.' This goes to show that it is very important to keep your mind and your heart aligned with godly values so that you will speak right! Philippians 4:8 in the Bible is a good verse for you to start meditating and proclaiming aloud, so that you will think and speak only things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and praiseworthy. Amen!

Let me clarify that speaking God's words over yourself is not merely practicing positive thinking or positive speaking the way you would be encouraged to do in any motivational seminar. The Bible says that Jesus is the Word of God (see John 1). Jesus also said that the words He spoke are spirit, they are living and powerful, and they impart life to those who speak or 'eat' of them! (see John 6:51-63) So, here is the spiritual truth - when you keep speaking God's words over yourself, you are actually 'eating', 'digesting' and 'absorbing' His words until you bear the same 'spiritual-DNA' in your spiritual being and mindset. This is also one of the important keys to having the mind of Christ. Hence, only those who are willing to believe and willing to practice speaking God's words over themselves will truly experience real and powerful transformation in their spiritual and physical lives!

There are 3 ways of speaking the powerful words of God over your life:

The Power of Speaking 'Logos'

'Logos' is the general written word of God in the Bible for every believer of Christ. 'Logos' communicates God's ability to do something, or His general will on a matter such as love, joy, peace, grace, salvation, healing, providence, success, etc. 

Many Christians do not experience the transformation of character and improvement in life because they do not know how to make use of the 'logos'! Reading and knowing God's words as head knowledge alone is never enough. 

Let me give you one of the many examples of speaking 'logos' over yourself.
Say, you are encumbered with worries and anxieties:
First, personalize a related part of the Scripture such as Philippians 4:6-7 this way, "I am anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, I let my requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard my heart and mind through Christ Jesus."
Next, speak the Scripture out loud over yourself again and again until you can memorize it well. Then, speak it out loud over yourself every day (say, 20, 30, 40, or 50 times a day) until you can sense the peace of God in your heart and mind.

In doing so, you are 'eating', 'digesting' and 'absorbing' the Scripture verses into your spirit, soul and body. God's thought for you would become your own thought. Instead of trying hard to talk yourself into not worrying, you allow God's words to be at work in your life. By the time you realize it, you would have been set free from anxiety and you are dwelling in the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. And because God's words are spirit and life, they do not just work in you, but they stay in you and become your own thoughts, i.e. they become one with you! The next time when new challenges arise in your life, these living words that dwell in you will automatically rise up to push back any thought of worry or anxiety in your mind.

You may apply the above approach with any relevant part of the Scripture to deal with sin, guilt, hatred, offense, envy, low self-image, competitiveness, insecurity, etc. The goal should be allowing yourself to be transformed by His 'logos' as you speak it. 

The Power of Speaking 'Rhema'

'Rhema' is a specific word from God that applies to you personally. God gives you 'rhema' by speaking through a specific part of the Scripture that touches your heart deeply, or by dropping an anointed thought, or through words of prophecy.

You can find many examples of God speaking 'rhema' to His people in the Bible. 
One of them is in the life of Abraham. It is an example of 'what God wants a person to become'. God changed his name from Abram to Abraham so that he would fulfill his calling to become the father of many nations (see Genesis 17:3-5). Surely Abraham would be telling his family members, relatives, and friends the reason for the change of name. And every time he heard his name was called by others, he was reminded of his calling as 'the father of many nations'. But just because there is someone else today who fancies that name, it does not make that someone else 'the father of many nations' the way Abraham was called to be. Because the calling is only for that specific Abraham in the Bible!

Another example of God speaking 'rhema' to His people is in the life of Gideon. It is an example of 'what God wants a person to do'. God told Gideon to choose only those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth to drink water, and there were only three hundred men who did so (see Judges 7). He was to send back the rest of the people who got down on their knees to drink water. He then spoke and conveyed to the three hundred men the specific 'rhema' of the Lord. Because they obeyed the specific 'rhema' of the Lord and carried out His instructions without doubt, Gideon and the three hundred men won the battle against the Midianites. But not any army commander today can simply adopt 'Gideon's method/way', because it was the 'rhema' and the specific instruction of God only to Gideon alone!

By now, you would have a clear understanding that whether it is a personal instruction to the people of God as seen in the Scripture, or a specific method/way of doing ministry/business from God to each of us, a 'rhema' is a specific word from God that only applies to the one who receives it. Simply copying, imitating, or adopting the 'rhema' of others will not necessarily work for you.

Have you received a 'rhema' from God? Do you know what God wants you to be? Do you know what kind of life and blessings God wants you to experience? Do you know in what way He wants you to carry out your ministry/business?

If you have received your 'rhema' from God, meditate on it, speak it aloud over yourself and put it into practice until you see the will of God is done in your life. If you have not received any 'rhema' for yourself, start asking God for His personal 'rhema' for you today!

The Power of Speaking 'Kairos' Words

To speak 'kairos' word is to speak 'the right word at the right time', with the leading of God's Spirit.

There are many examples in the Bible where lives were changed after 'kairos' words were spoken.

Jesus have always been at the right place, speaking the right word at the right time. One example is in John 4:5-42. Jesus entered a city called Sycar in Samaria, stationed Himself by the well of Jacob, sent all His disciples away to the city to buy food, and met the Samaritan woman who came to draw water at noon time. Jesus' first few 'kairos' words to her were, "Give Me a drink." This Samaritan woman entered into a conversation with Jesus, and later became the first person to hear Jesus teach about worshiping God in spirit and in truth. Not just that, through her, many more Samaritans heard about Jesus and believed in Jesus!

In Acts 8:26-39, Philip was told by an angel of God to go toward the south along the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. He went, and was at the right place and the right time to meet the Ethiopian eunuch who served under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians. Philip was led by the Spirit of God to go near and overtake the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip then heard him read the book of Isaiah. Philip's 'kairos' words to the eunuch were, "Do you understand what you are reading?" Immediately, Philip was invited into the chariot and he was able to preach the gospel to the eunuch. Eventually, the eunuch of great authority and influence was saved and water baptized!

You see, sometimes the Spirit of God might prompt you to speak 'kairos' words to people you may or may not know. Just follow the leading of the Spirit of God and you will see the work of God being established through your life!