bibleverse2
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If you feel that your mind has been sucked away into the maelstrom of social media and cable news, there is a way to get your mind back.
Romans 12:2 . . . be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The first way to do this is to read God's Word the Holy Bible every day.
As Jesus said:
John 8:31 . . . If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed . . .
The best way to study the Bible, as a whole, is simply to read every word of it (Matthew 4:4), over and over again. It ends up explaining itself once what it teaches has become engrained in your memory, and you see the connections between verses regarding something in one place in the Bible and other verses regarding that same thing in other places in the Bible. It is by comparing and combining related verses in different places in the Bible that we arrive at correct doctrine (Isaiah 28:9-10; 1 Corinthians 2:13).
It is also a good practice to always end each Bible-reading session with a prayer for understanding and remembrance of the whole Bible. And pray for obedience to those parts of it which are still in effect for Christians (James 1:22, Romans 7:6). And pray for agape love with all things (1 Corinthians 13).
One great way to read the whole Bible, over and over, is to think of it as seven volumes:
1. Genesis to Deuteronomy
2. Joshua to Esther
3. Job to Song of Solomon
4. Isaiah to Malachi
5. Matthew to Acts
6. Romans to Philemon
7. Hebrews to Revelation
You can read a chapter in each volume every day. This will keep you current in every part of the Bible. After a while, there will not be any part that you have not read recently enough to remember what it teaches. When you reach the end of a volume, simply start again at the first chapter of that volume. In this way, you will be cycling through smaller volumes like #6 and #7 much more often than larger volumes like #2, but the smaller volumes are so much more dense with doctrine that it is profitable to read them over and over more often.
Also, you can listen to recordings of people reading the Bible out loud whenever you need to keep your eyes on something else while you listen (such as keeping your eyes on the road while you are driving, or on a cutting board while you are preparing food, or on your clippers while you are trimming a hedge). In this way, you can listen to the Bible throughout the day, whenever you do not need to be thinking about something else (such as at your workplace or school). Also, you can listen to the Bible even while you are going to sleep, so that it will become part of even your subconscious mind.
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After Bible reading (and listening), the best way to restore your mind is through prayer every day to YHWH God of the Bible.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
When one of Jesus Christ's disciples asked Him how to pray, He told all of His disciples to pray what Christians call: "The Lord's Prayer" (Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:9-13). So Christians should pray The Lord's Prayer, every day, and learn to concentrate on everything that it says. It is the perfect model prayer, from which any further, more specific prayers can follow. And there is no need to get long-winded or repetitive (Matthew 6:7-13, Ecclesiastes 5:2). It is better to pray a short prayer with faith than a long prayer with doubting (James 1:6-8).
In order for Christians' prayers to be heard, and answered, they must not "ask amiss, that they may consume it upon their lusts" (James 4:3). Before Christians pray, they must make sure that they have repented from all of their sins (Hebrews 10:26-29), and that they have done all that they can to make reparations to and peace with everyone whom they have ever wronged (Matthew 5:23-26, Romans 12:18, Acts 24:16, Hebrews 12:14). And they must make sure that they have completely forgiven everyone who has ever wronged them (Matthew 6:15). And when they pray for something, they must pray for it with an unwavering faith (James 1:6-8), and with an unwavering perseverance (Luke 18:1-8). And they must actually be obeying God in their lives (1 John 3:22). And what they ask for must be according to God's will (1 John 5:14). They must be willing to put aside their own will, and seek God's will in all things (Luke 22:42, Matthew 6:10; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Deuteronomy 3:25-26). For only He knows what is truly best in the long run (Isaiah 46:10, James 4:14).
Also, Christians should give thanks (Philippians 4:6-7). And they should pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalms 122:6). And they should pray for all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). And they should pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:38). Christians should also pray that they might be accounted worthy to escape the future Tribulation (Luke 21:36), and that their flight (from the future Antichrist) will not be in winter (Mark 13:18). And Christians who have received the gift of tongues should pray for the separate gift of the interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:13).
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After Bible reading and prayer, the best way to restore your mind is through singing hymns every day to YHWH God of the Bible.
Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord . . .
Think of singing at least 3 hymns a day to God.
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After Bible reading, prayer, and hymns, the best way to restore your mind, in a secular sense, is through staying truly informed with regard to secular facts.
To stay truly informed, Christians should buy local, daily newspapers with national and international stories from The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, and Bloomberg News. Christians may be able to buy these local newspapers cheaply at their local dollar store.
Also, although it is expensive, Christians should try to subscribe to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, which might only be available through direct delivery, but which can be delivered throughout the U.S.
Regarding TV news, even national TV news can lack much information, but it can still be worthwhile to watch some national TV news (not more than about 90 minutes a day). Besides watching national broadcast and cable newscasts on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, C-SPAN, and Newsy, Christians should also watch foreign, English-language cable newscasts such as on NHK (from Japan) and the BBC.
Also, Worthy Christian Forums is very helpful in highlighting important news which you will not hear about anywhere else.
Of course, all news sources have biases. And so every news story, from whatever source, should be taken with a grain of salt, considering the source and what interests it may wish to further. It is best to get your news from a wide number of different sources, so as not to get locked into any one particular, biased worldview.
Also, to gain a broad foundation of general knowledge, you can buy a full set of encyclopedia volumes cheaply from your local library's used book store. Then, over months and years, read the encyclopedia volumes from A to Z, over and over again. You will be amazed at how much information you will retain and how interesting and useful this information can be, even with regard to interpreting Bible prophecy, such as in the book of Revelation. It is also helpful to have large, printed atlases in which you can look up detailed maps of world locations while you are reading encyclopedia entries or news articles about these locations. A good map can help a location to come alive in your mind as you see its hills, mountains, rivers, railroads, highways, bays, etc., and how they relate to the surrounding region: to neighboring cities, states, and countries.
Also, after you have become used to reading the encyclopedia and long newspaper articles, you will be shocked at how relatively void of facts many TV newscasts can be, especially if they have become mere "infotainment", designed to get as many viewers as possible (for commercials). That is, they are aimed at the "lowest common denominator" among viewers, most of whom have no interest in, or patience for, a lot of detailed facts, but want to be entertained by the news, just as by any other TV program.
Romans 12:2 . . . be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The first way to do this is to read God's Word the Holy Bible every day.
As Jesus said:
John 8:31 . . . If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed . . .
The best way to study the Bible, as a whole, is simply to read every word of it (Matthew 4:4), over and over again. It ends up explaining itself once what it teaches has become engrained in your memory, and you see the connections between verses regarding something in one place in the Bible and other verses regarding that same thing in other places in the Bible. It is by comparing and combining related verses in different places in the Bible that we arrive at correct doctrine (Isaiah 28:9-10; 1 Corinthians 2:13).
It is also a good practice to always end each Bible-reading session with a prayer for understanding and remembrance of the whole Bible. And pray for obedience to those parts of it which are still in effect for Christians (James 1:22, Romans 7:6). And pray for agape love with all things (1 Corinthians 13).
One great way to read the whole Bible, over and over, is to think of it as seven volumes:
1. Genesis to Deuteronomy
2. Joshua to Esther
3. Job to Song of Solomon
4. Isaiah to Malachi
5. Matthew to Acts
6. Romans to Philemon
7. Hebrews to Revelation
You can read a chapter in each volume every day. This will keep you current in every part of the Bible. After a while, there will not be any part that you have not read recently enough to remember what it teaches. When you reach the end of a volume, simply start again at the first chapter of that volume. In this way, you will be cycling through smaller volumes like #6 and #7 much more often than larger volumes like #2, but the smaller volumes are so much more dense with doctrine that it is profitable to read them over and over more often.
Also, you can listen to recordings of people reading the Bible out loud whenever you need to keep your eyes on something else while you listen (such as keeping your eyes on the road while you are driving, or on a cutting board while you are preparing food, or on your clippers while you are trimming a hedge). In this way, you can listen to the Bible throughout the day, whenever you do not need to be thinking about something else (such as at your workplace or school). Also, you can listen to the Bible even while you are going to sleep, so that it will become part of even your subconscious mind.
--
After Bible reading (and listening), the best way to restore your mind is through prayer every day to YHWH God of the Bible.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
When one of Jesus Christ's disciples asked Him how to pray, He told all of His disciples to pray what Christians call: "The Lord's Prayer" (Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:9-13). So Christians should pray The Lord's Prayer, every day, and learn to concentrate on everything that it says. It is the perfect model prayer, from which any further, more specific prayers can follow. And there is no need to get long-winded or repetitive (Matthew 6:7-13, Ecclesiastes 5:2). It is better to pray a short prayer with faith than a long prayer with doubting (James 1:6-8).
In order for Christians' prayers to be heard, and answered, they must not "ask amiss, that they may consume it upon their lusts" (James 4:3). Before Christians pray, they must make sure that they have repented from all of their sins (Hebrews 10:26-29), and that they have done all that they can to make reparations to and peace with everyone whom they have ever wronged (Matthew 5:23-26, Romans 12:18, Acts 24:16, Hebrews 12:14). And they must make sure that they have completely forgiven everyone who has ever wronged them (Matthew 6:15). And when they pray for something, they must pray for it with an unwavering faith (James 1:6-8), and with an unwavering perseverance (Luke 18:1-8). And they must actually be obeying God in their lives (1 John 3:22). And what they ask for must be according to God's will (1 John 5:14). They must be willing to put aside their own will, and seek God's will in all things (Luke 22:42, Matthew 6:10; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Deuteronomy 3:25-26). For only He knows what is truly best in the long run (Isaiah 46:10, James 4:14).
Also, Christians should give thanks (Philippians 4:6-7). And they should pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalms 122:6). And they should pray for all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). And they should pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:38). Christians should also pray that they might be accounted worthy to escape the future Tribulation (Luke 21:36), and that their flight (from the future Antichrist) will not be in winter (Mark 13:18). And Christians who have received the gift of tongues should pray for the separate gift of the interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:13).
--
After Bible reading and prayer, the best way to restore your mind is through singing hymns every day to YHWH God of the Bible.
Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord . . .
Think of singing at least 3 hymns a day to God.
--
After Bible reading, prayer, and hymns, the best way to restore your mind, in a secular sense, is through staying truly informed with regard to secular facts.
To stay truly informed, Christians should buy local, daily newspapers with national and international stories from The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, and Bloomberg News. Christians may be able to buy these local newspapers cheaply at their local dollar store.
Also, although it is expensive, Christians should try to subscribe to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, which might only be available through direct delivery, but which can be delivered throughout the U.S.
Regarding TV news, even national TV news can lack much information, but it can still be worthwhile to watch some national TV news (not more than about 90 minutes a day). Besides watching national broadcast and cable newscasts on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, C-SPAN, and Newsy, Christians should also watch foreign, English-language cable newscasts such as on NHK (from Japan) and the BBC.
Also, Worthy Christian Forums is very helpful in highlighting important news which you will not hear about anywhere else.
Of course, all news sources have biases. And so every news story, from whatever source, should be taken with a grain of salt, considering the source and what interests it may wish to further. It is best to get your news from a wide number of different sources, so as not to get locked into any one particular, biased worldview.
Also, to gain a broad foundation of general knowledge, you can buy a full set of encyclopedia volumes cheaply from your local library's used book store. Then, over months and years, read the encyclopedia volumes from A to Z, over and over again. You will be amazed at how much information you will retain and how interesting and useful this information can be, even with regard to interpreting Bible prophecy, such as in the book of Revelation. It is also helpful to have large, printed atlases in which you can look up detailed maps of world locations while you are reading encyclopedia entries or news articles about these locations. A good map can help a location to come alive in your mind as you see its hills, mountains, rivers, railroads, highways, bays, etc., and how they relate to the surrounding region: to neighboring cities, states, and countries.
Also, after you have become used to reading the encyclopedia and long newspaper articles, you will be shocked at how relatively void of facts many TV newscasts can be, especially if they have become mere "infotainment", designed to get as many viewers as possible (for commercials). That is, they are aimed at the "lowest common denominator" among viewers, most of whom have no interest in, or patience for, a lot of detailed facts, but want to be entertained by the news, just as by any other TV program.
