The Power That Dominates Me Colossians 3:1-11, NIV Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry! Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Introduction Today I would like to share the grace of God under the title “The Power That Dominates Me” I have noticed that birds, animals, and insects of the same kind gather together. People also live together according to their races. 1. The environment given to me People who like the same hobby gather together. They become friends and neighbors. And their desires and thoughts create their environment. People cannot live together if they are too different from each other. Politically the right wing get together and the left wing get together. People with the same hobby and people with the same thought processes tend to stick together. It is indeed true that “birds of a feather flock together.” We need to know that our desires and thoughts create our environment. People who have the same desires and thoughts create a common environment which then becomes their reality. Colossians 3:1-3 says: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Our life is hidden with Christ in God therefore we are to set our hearts on things above. We are not to set our minds on earthly things. We will actualize what we think about in the heavenly realm. Our thoughts will become more and more intense until they manifest in our reality. What I always think about will eventually come to pass in my real circumstances. What I have not ever thought about will not take place in reality. Luke 6:45 says: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Some people ask, “Why does that man always do evil deeds? Why do bad things seem to follow him?” First bad intentions were stored in this man’s heart and then these intentions happened in this man’s real life. On the other hand we can look at a good man. Good things happen to him continually and he fellowships with good people. Why? Because goodness overflows out of the good stored up in this good man’s heart. Romans 8:5-6 says: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;” Spiritual things will take place to people who have their minds set on what the Spirit desires and who live in accordance with the Spirit. But those who think about natural desires will taste what they have set their minds only. A person who always thinks about drinking a glass of cool beer will not experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He will bring into reality drinking a glass of beer but not experiencing the Holy Spirit. What he desires most will come to reality. What he has not ever thought about he will never care about. My thinking will become my companion. My desires and thoughts will make my environment better or worse. That is why what we want and think is important for us. Thought and desire must first be in my heart and then it will grow till it comes to fruition in my real environment. Therefore what is realized through my environment is actually what I already thought and wished in my heart. No absurd things come to be realized. What filled my heart to overflowing has formed my reality. It is very important to think and speak positively, not negatively, in order to actualize my destiny. Our attitude can write a completely different story in the reality I am in. Positive situations come to a person who demonstrates in his speaking and thinking a positive attitude. People who think and speak negatively invariably attract a negative crowd. There is the principal that “like draws to like”. Like attracts like in our daily happening. My thinking will attract the environment that I have wished for. My desires, dreams, and hopes will draw and shape my environment. I am not alone. The Father God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are in my heart. The holy Trinity discusses all things. What they reach in agreement for me will surely take place. For a long time God has kept talking to me in my heart, “Your church will be one of the largest churches in the world. You will reach out and send missionaries throughout the world, and help people in need.” I have been full of hope. What I have incubated in my thoughts has in its time come true. Please repeat after me, “What I have in my mind now overflows out of my heart and will become true.” 2. Education molds environment Second, let us think about the effect of education which molds environment. Education enables us to create a new environment. Thoughts and education of disbelief bring about a fatal environment. Psalm 14:1 says: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Countries whose people teach and follow atheism are corrupt. Their deeds are vile. And there is no one who does good in that country. Therefore the education of a nation will play a vital role in the development of that society. Whether we teach about God or not will affect the very existence of our lives. Our environment and destiny depends upon our education. Proverbs 1:7-9 says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge … The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, … ” Proverbs 14:27 says: “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, …” Isaiah 33:6 says: “the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” Psalm 103:13 says: “the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;” Proverbs 22:4 says: “Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.” Psalm 115:13 says: “he will bless those who fear the LORD - small and great alike.” Therefore it is very important to keep educating our children to acknowledge and worship God in their lives. Our children will grow up and stay in the faith if they worship God from their childhood. We should teach our little ones to respect God. This instruction will lead them and mold their environment and destiny. 3. Self-image dominates environment Third, let us think about the relationship between self-image and environment of life. We all have a self-image. We each look at ourselves in a mirror in the morning and evening. We also look at ourselves in the mirror of our hearts. Some of us have a negative self-image while others have a positive self-image. The person who has a negative self-image has set himself to fail right from his beginning. But a person who has a positive self-image starts his life with success from his beginning. Numbers 13:32-33 says: “And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.’ ” We call this “grasshopper mentality.” We seem like grasshoppers in our own eyes. Our problems and obstacles appear large in size. Things are impossible. There is no chance of success. We get scared of people’s reports. “We will fall by the sword. Our wives and children will be taken into plunder. Let us go back to Egypt. We don’t need God.” They had a negative self-image. All of exilic Israel got caught up in this mentality. Sometimes we too tend to be caught up by a negative report. People rarely listen to positive words, and conversely, are more prone to listening to negative words. Let us listen to the report of Joshua and Caleb. They said to the entire Israelite assembly. “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 14:7-9) This is a portrait of a victor. “We will swallow them up. We will eat them up! God is with us. We can enter into the land and occupy it. It is ours. Let’s go.” But the whole assembly talked about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of God appeared and ten of the twelve spies who spread the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. Then all those who grumbled against God wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Only their children and Joshua and Caleb survived and entered into the Promised Land. Listen. Two spies of the ten had positive self-images. Mark 9:23 says: “'If you can'? said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’ ” When you look at yourself you should think that “Everything is possible for him who believes. I believe in Christ. I rely on Him. Nothing is impossible with Jesus. I can do it. Let us do it. I will try.” Philippians 4:13 says: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God will work for good in all things you do. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Someone who used to say, “I am incompetent and slow. Others poke fun at me;” will say now “I will never be the same. I am a Jesus person. I am a whole new person. God is with me and I can do it. I will try.” We should look to the cross of Calvary. We should have a new self-image which is granted to us through the atonement of Christ Jesus. Have a new self-image which is based on the five-fold gospel and three-fold blessing. By the precious blood of Jesus Christ on the cross let us get in agreement with God that we are a new creation which has been forgiven and is righteous in Jesus. “I am a forgiven righteous. I have become holy. I am a man with the fullness of the Holy Spirit by Jesus’ blood. I am healed because of Jesus’ wounds.” Have a self-image of being healed. “Jesus became a curse instead of me so I am blessed with the blessing of Abraham.” Have a self-image of the resurrection and eternal kingdom. Have a self-image of the well-being of your soul and body. Everything will go well with you. You will have a healthy and great life. Psalm 103:1-5 says: “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” Have a positive, active, bright, clear and shining self-image. If you look at yourself in a mirror and say “You are a grasshopper, A real grasshopper!” Then you have no future. Say the following like you mean it. “God is with me. That is why my tomorrow will be better than today. Next month will be better than this month. Next year will be greater than this year. I can do it. Let us do it. I will do it.” It is really significant for you to have a bright, clear and positive self-image. Colossians 3:7-10 says: “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” We should have a new self-image in our heart which reflects God’s image. We can draw a positive self-image through our thinking, dreaming, having faith and speaking. How can I change my life while I am living? I can change my life and be renewed when I change my dreaming, my faith and words. Ephesians 3:20 says: “(God) is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” Our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we think. Psalm 81:10 says: “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” Mark 11:24 says: “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Proverbs 18:21 says: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Let us think about these bible verses. Thinking will change us. Dreaming will change us. To have faith will change us. The word of God will change our self-image. Please repeat after me. “God will make me well. I believe so.” God will do great things through you when you believe in Him. It is written in Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” We have become a new creation through faith. We should have a positive self-image on the basis of the five-fold gospel and the three-fold blessing. We should express our faith that we can do all things if God empowers us. Let us stop saying, “I can’t do it. We will not prevail.” Rather we are to confess by the power of God that “I can do it. Let us do it. I can do even the impossible if God grants me the grace.” Personally I am not a good singer. But I believe I can sing when my God gives me the talent. I would like to sing to God through His anointing from now on. Conclusion Fourth dimension spirituality controls, makes, and changes life in the third dimension, including the condition of our body and environment. Fourth dimension spirituality is unseen but it will actualize through our thinking, dreaming, having faith, and speaking. We should know that fourth dimension spirituality influences our destiny and circumstances. One day Dale B. Carnegie was invited to a radio program. He was asked to summarize what he considered to be his life’s most important lessons. He said, that his “one most important lessons was learning how significant our thinking was. We could change our lives by changing our thoughts.” All our thoughts have meaningful significance in our lives. King Solomon who was the wisest man who ever lived said in Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” The thoughts of our mind exercise a profound influence in our life. The fourth dimension which is the spiritual world controls the third dimension which is our earthly realm, wherein our life, body and circumstances play out their existence. You will indeed do what you think, believe and proclaim that “you can do” with expectation toward God. The more you enlarge your thinking the more you will be able to do. If we recondition our thoughts according to God’s Word by reading, meditating, listening to and praying with it; we will feed hope and dreams in our heart, believe in miracles and speak victory into our lives. Christians are to speak things as if they were. Everybody can say what he sees. Here is a pulpit. Anyone who sees it can say it. But I will speak in faith when I say here will be a pulpit where there is no pulpit. I will speak it into existence by faith. Christians are people who are to live in the fourth dimension. We are to think, dream, believe, and speak things that are not as if they were. People who only live in the third dimension will at best think, dream and speak when things are in front of them. These people cannot create their future. Praise God, believe and pray, put to practice what you think, dream, believe and speak in faith when you come to church. What you have dreamed, believed and spoken in your daily life will come to pass. We should ask ourselves very important questions. Are we dreaming? What kind of faith do we have? What do we think, what kinds of words do we speak? The answers to these questions will affect our destiny. This is very important for us to remember. What are you thinking right now? What are you dreaming for right now? What are you believing for right now? What are you speaking into existence right now? Some of you may say, “change will come to my destiny when some mysterious thing happens to me.” “No!” What we think, what we dream, what we believe and what we speak in our every day life will lead us to the fourth dimensional world - the spiritual world. Through it you can influence and control your circumstances. Great miracles will happen through your mind. Brothers and sisters! There is hope. You will live abundantly. You will get victory in advance. Miracles will happen to you. Why? Miracles will happen because you can think that way; because you can dream that way; because you can believe that way; and because you can speak that way. That is how miracles will take place. Something will come out of nothing. I encourage you that through the grace of God you will enjoy an abundant life. In Jesus’ name I pray such a life for you. Let us pray together! Our Father God! Thank you for your calling. You allow us to come to your temple. Thank you for sharing your word. Thank you for your guidance so that we may know how to control ourselves in our lives. Help us to live in this third dimension world with fourth dimension spirituality. Let us not stay only in the third dimension. Fill us with the fullness of God’s glory. We will think, dream, believe and proclaim what we desire, expecting Your miracle. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 1