Cognition is the mental process of learning and understanding. Somehow our thoughts are now considered to be part of the authoritarian elites organized structure. Once we get done laughing, we realize that these people are serious. This is why the heavy hand in modern media censorship and the erasure of true history. But if our thoughts are “owned” by a group of rulers then we realize that we ourselves are owned by the same group of rulers. Ouch. While it sounds like we Christians are imprisoned by an elite ruling class, it has actually always been true of Christians living in a fallen world ruled by Satanas. Therefore if someone wants to “own” our thoughts we should give them the very best thoughts regarding the blood of Jesus. Jesus’ blood overcame the grave. Jesus’ blood washes away our sins. Jesus’ blood makes us children of the Most High, Living, God. Jesus’ blood also makes us kings and priests. The things that we think on are not necessarily going to overthrow kings and rulers under Satanas, but our thoughts shield us from spiritual attacks. If the government rulers make us fearful, we compromise ourselves, leaving an opening for attack. Why live in fear? Instead live in the boldness of the blood of Christ Jesus who makes us free from death.
We know our heart has thoughts and this is something that the evil rulers cannot control. When we combine Godly thoughts with Godly intent we change the dynamic of the infrastructure that the rulers believe they own because we act upon our Godly thoughts and intents. If we flood them with the thoughts of the Almighty Creator and His ways, they cannot overcome us. They will have to wait until we are harpazo’d to continue with their evil plans for control of the world. Yet their plan is to paralyze us into not thinking on the things of Christ so that we do not act with love in our communities.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/12/change-of-heart-countenance-opprobrious.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2022/01/thoughts-and-ideas-at-ready-demolish.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2022/01/primeval-past-higher-evolution.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2019/04/spiritual-thoughts-wickedness-in.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/11/our-emotional-center-examining-our.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/01/dimensions-eternity-image-of-man.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/seeing-invisible-enochs-divided-time.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2022/02/cleaning-soul-different-genos-evil.html
Every time someone was held back from speaking about Yahweh Elohim, and the words that Yahweh Elohim gave them, they still prevailed in the end. Albeit they suffered some sort of trial. Every prophet wrestled with this. Think about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah when they were told that they had to worship a golden image and not Yahweh Elohim. They told the corrupt rulers no. They willingly took the threatened punishment that was meant to instill fear, rather than bow to the golden image. Remember our studies on gold? Who is a hoarder of gold? Who will make an image in the future?
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/he-fills-earth-with-war-not-cherub.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/05/gold-diffused-or-specular-incorporeal.html
Daniel defied the rulers and the priests and was thrown into the lions den twice. Yes twice.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/12/will-he-find-faith-out-of-persuasion.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2021/08/daniels-faith-our-part-gods-part-cyrus.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/06/cunningly-devised-fables-idols-and.html
The idea of being thrown to the lions was meant to inspire fear, intimidation, and compliance, but with Daniel it didn’t work. The same is true for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah being thrown into a burning fiery furnace. It did not intimidate them and they could not be manipulated by their evil rulers. But what did happen? The evil rulers were thrown into the lions den. This backfired on them. Nebuchadnezzar made a decree that anyone who spoke against the God of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah would be cut in pieces. This too backfired on the evil rulers.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/05/tenacity-to-stand-strength-to-be-still.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/11/curing-lukewarmness-for-this-occasion.html
Paul fought wild beasts in Ephesus. Yet every time the government or the religious leaders tried to stop Paul from speaking he kept right on going. All the imprisonments, all the beatings, and all the wild beasts, did not deter Paul’s thinking that Jesus is the only way. The message was so important to Paul and to the other disciples that they gave their life to not let their speech be regulated and they continued teaching and preaching in faith and love.
How should we react to learning that the governing rulers believe our thoughts are owned by them? We should give them all the “thoughts” they could ever want of Jesus Christ, our risen Messiah, and put those thoughts out into the the world. We should do what Paul and Silas did, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We should rejoice in Jesus.
Philippians 4:4 (AMP) Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! [Ps. 37:4.]
5 Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon].
No one should question who we are in Christ. They should spiritually see us coming.
Philippians 4:6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
Don’t fret. It would seem that fear is used by both sides, saints and sinners. Saints inspire fear of hell so that people receive Christ. Sinners inspire fear to control and extract Jesus Christ out of people. But if we are saved then we do not fear death. Therefore if the howling of the evil rulers and demons puts us in fear we simply need to pray, petition, thank, and make requests to God. This is our path to peace while we live in a world controlled by Satanas.
Philippians 4:7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I love the particular wordiness of the Amplified here. God’s peace, the tranquil state of our soul that has no fear, which transcends our understanding, garrisons and mounts guards over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. A garrison is a fortress of troops, and mounted guards are soldiers on horseback. This is how God’s peace protects us. It goes beyond what we physically see and understand, like defying the rulers and false priests of Babylon. In the natural it looks bad, but in the spiritual it is what is required of the saints. We need the Elohims peace to guard our hearts and minds. What do we fear?
Philippians 4:8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), Php 4:4–9.
“The henceforth brothers how much is unconcealed how much honorable how much equitable how much chaste, how much beloved how much well spoken of whether any one moral excellence and whether anyone commendation these things take an inventory.”
This gives us the foundation for our imitation. Focus on what is unconcealed, honorable, equitable, chaste, beloved, well spoken of, moral excellence, and praiseworthy, think about these things.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2022/12/out-resurrection-above-summons-victory.html
Paul is speaking to the disciples who actively participate in spreading the gospel here in Philippians 4:4-7. When he says “for the rest” Paul is referring to the rest of the brothers and sisters in Christ. The distinction is usually unrecognized. The people actively ministering are to rejoice and not fret or have anxiety. For the general population of believers, work your mind to think on and imitate Paul in these things. We make the choice as to what we think. We make the choice in what to feed on. We make the choice. Not the rulers or governing authorities. Flood the infrastructure with thoughts of things that are respectable, honorable, pure, lovely, lovable, kind, winsome, gracious, virtuous, excellent, and praiseworthy. We fix our minds’ on these things. But that does not mean the elite rulers will not try and take over our thoughts. It does not mean that the governing authorities won’t claim dominance over our cognitive thoughts, for their own infrastructure. It doesn’t mean that we won’t be persecuted when we upset the cognitive infrastructure with the blood of Christ. They will come after us. We simply resign ourselves to this fact and stand. That is what we are asked to do, stand.
1 Peter 4:12 (AMP) Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.
Why are we surprised that evil will encroach on the believers in Christ? We have let them advance without any push back from us. Where are the celebrity Christians? Probably making deals and compromises with the social elite so that they will be the spokespeople of compromise to the body of Christ. Nonsense. There is nothing strange happening here, it is normal, historical, and expected. The Pharisees compromised originally during the age of the Maccabees, and then continually up to the destruction of the temple and the ousting of Jews from Jerusalem. Our leaders are compromised by their own desires just like the Pharisees were. Paul fought the compromised Pharisees and the Romans. We are fighting the compromised Christian leaders and our own elitist rulers.
1 Peter 4:13 But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].
Do you think the Christian compromisers will be rejoicing with the non-compromisers? No. They will be ashamed.
1 Peter 4:14 If you are censured and suffer abuse [because you bear] the name of Christ, blessed [are you—happy, fortunate, to be envied, with life-joy, and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward condition], because the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, is resting upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. [Isa. 11:2.]
If we are censured and suffer for Christ we are doing it right. If we are flooding the rulers’ infrastructure with the blood of Jesus, we will be pressured to stop, but don’t stop, just keep on standing. Keep taking the message to the streets. The rulers don’t go out on the streets and socialize, they stay in their own little bubble, protected from the laity.
1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or any sort of criminal, or as a mischief-maker (a meddler) in the affairs of others [infringing on their rights].
Don’t be a criminal and expect not to be persecuted. Instead if we are going to be persecuted then we can be like Paul and Silas and be persecuted for the name of Christ. We can be like Peter and John, walking in love, healing people in the name of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4:16 But if [one is ill-treated and suffers] as a Christian [which he is contemptuously called], let him not be ashamed, but give glory to God that he is [deemed worthy to suffer] in this name.
17 For the time [has arrived] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel) of God?
The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), 1 Pe 4:12–17.
Be happy, give glory to the Elohim, and understand that this is normal behavior for Satanas and his minions. Certainly Satanas will attempt to knock us down but we are to simply stand.
1 Corinthians 16:13 (AMP) Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith (your conviction respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, keeping the trust and holy fervor born of faith and a part of it). Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength! [Ps. 31:24.]
14 Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God’s love for us).
The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), 1 Co 16:13–14.
Stand. Have courage. Be strong. Then walk in love.
Ephesians 1:7 (AMP) In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,
8 Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),
9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him,
10 [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.
The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), Eph 1:7–10.
In short, Jesus gives us redemption through his blood, forgives our sins, and lavishes upon us cognitive function, wisdom and understanding regarding the mystery which is to unify all things in heaven and earth in Christ. Flood the cognitive infrastructure with this news. Stand firm on this.
If we recognize that every time evil rulers and authorities attempted to silence people regarding Yahweh Elohim, Jesus Messiah, it never worked and actually had the opposite effect. All our persecution for testifying of Jesus Christ spreads the logos of the Elohim. All the prophets endured, all the evangelists endured, all the true followers of the Elohim endured, and so can we. I read about two Chinese women who were imprisoned in China that spread the gospel message and walked in power in the love of Christ, in prison. We recognize that this cognitive infrastructure idea already exists on the earth in some countries. Maybe not where we live but it already exists. Even still the attitude is what is crucial. Jesus doesn’t promise that Satanas won’t attack us, but he does promise us eternal life.
Hebrews 2:14 (AMP) Since, therefore, [these His] children share in flesh and blood [in the physical nature of human beings], He [Himself] in a similar manner partook of the same [nature], that by [going through] death He might bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death—that is, the devil—
15 And also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives.
The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), Heb 2:14–15.
While the rulers and governments will censor information in an attempt to control people’s thoughts, ideas, and understandings, they will not be able to control what we think on. The governing authorities think our thoughts are part of their infrastructure, but they are incorrect. Jesus is Lord over our lives, making their infrastructure susceptible to the knowledge and understanding of the blood of Christ, and his overcoming death for us. Instead of being in fear of their nonsense, we can be bold in the blood Jesus shed for us. We should flood their infrastructure with Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. If we are persecuted for it then we are not suffering anything unusual as it seems to be normal for anyone who stands for Yahweh Elohim to be persecuted. It is a witness and a testimony of the evil that has ruled the world for thousands of years that Satanas cannot overcome us or the blood of Jesus Christ.
