Casting Down Vain Imaginations — Don Wilkerson

This message is one of the Times Square pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan New York City. Other tapes are available by writing to World Challenge P .O. Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 or calling 214 -963 -8626.

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The Danger of Vain Imaginations

Casting down vain imaginations. When I was a youngster I had, as many kids do, a very vivid imagination. During the day I lived in the real world, but at night my creative imagination would go to work.

Often working overtime. In fact not only the night, there was one period during the day I remember, I don't know what grade I was in, but when the teacher sent home my grades she added a little note to my mother saying he would be a lot better student if he would not look out the window so much and daydream.

Well I was getting ready for my calling in life. I was rehearsing my imagination I guess. But I remember one of the imaginations that I had had to do with sports. I loved sports. I loved basketball. And I remember in my mind that I was Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics.

Those of you that laughed, that shows you how old you are. And I was Bob Cousy. I was in the championship game. I had the ball. There was about 30 seconds left in the game, which was tied. And I took the ball and dribbled up court through five defenders.

And I shot the ball just as the buzzer went off and it went in and I scored the winning basket. What I experienced in my fantasy world is called a vain imagination. But I outgrew that imagination and later I decided it was childish for me to imagine that I was Bob Cousy scoring the winning basket.

And so instead I imagined that I was Don Wilkerson. And I was in the NCAA finals. There was 20 seconds left and again the same story was. End of the ball game and the coach kept yelling from the bench, give the ball to Wilkie.

Give the ball to Wilkie. And they got me the ball and it went in as the buzzer went off. And I drifted off into the dream world and into my sleep as the crowd cheered me and as the team held me up on their shoulders.

That reoccurring nightly dream is called vain imagination. Now true, it was innocent enough and it was a normal thought process for a lad of 10. But it was still a vain imagination. By the time I was a teenager my imagination got converted and sanctified.

I dreamed that I was preaching in great crusades and in large churches. And preaching great sermons and of course the alders were filled night after night. In fact when I look back on that it's some of the greatest success I've ever had in my ministry.

Now this message tonight is about our thought life. Our thoughts as they pertain to vain imaginations. Now having a creative imagination is not wrong in and of itself. There is a God given gift of imagination.

But Satan also invades our thought life and he is the instigator and depositor of evil as well as vain and foolish imaginations. I have seen Christians get themselves so entwined and entangled in vain imaginations that were so incredible, so bizarre.

That they ended up in total confusion and in some cases out of touch with spiritual reality. Some get so deceived in their vain imaginations they actually believe that their thought or their vision is from God when it's the furthest thing from that.

The most difficult imaginations which the imaginer does not of course consider to be imaginations but rather as I said a vision from God. The most difficult to deal with both by the imaginer and by the ones trying to counsel them are religious or ministry visions and imaginations.

There is a brother right now that I know of he's not in this church you wouldn't even know him so don't even try to guess. But he feels called to go to another country to be a missionary. His pastor's wife has had a so-called vision of what he's to do.

She's prophesied over him regarding this. The only problem is that when he went to that country to spy out the land not one thing that she saw in her prophecies, not one thing that was prophesied to her over him came to pass.

And in fact when he went there the members of the body of Christ did not confirm what was prophesied, did not confirm what was being said regarding him. And here is a brother planning to take his wife, his family to a far off country under the influence of what I call a vain imagination.

And yet because it's cloaked so-called in prophecy it's accepted as from God. And a man is dedicating his life, he's going out underneath the influence of that. And disaster awaits that family if they go to the mission field in that manner.

Now if anyone who is listening to this tonight is caught up in a dream or a vision or a prophecy or a so-called leading of the Lord. Which in reality you are captive to a vain imagination. I pray that the Lord will show it to you.

And that the Lord will enable you to cast that thing down so that it will not destroy you. I've said on various occasions, many of you have heard me say it and if you haven't let me, it bears repeating at this point.

I've said this, if the devil can't get you to backslide he'll get you to frontslide. If he can't get you to turn back to the world he'll get you involved, he'll push you forward into something. That very often is the product of vain imaginations, yours or somebody else's.

Paul’s Authority and the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare

Now let's begin first by looking at what Paul addressed himself to here in 2 Corinthians 10. Paul's message and authority and his manner of ministry was being challenged by some in the church at Corinth.

It seems that he was not charismatic enough. The very same problem existed in the church back then as now. The people wanted a leader or pastor like other religious groups. Someone who would use persuasive words and who had a flamboyant personality.

And so they accused Paul of being very bold in his letters but in his physical presence he was very timid. And they preferred to have a TV type of evangelist to be their pastor. And they accused Paul of being too gentle and too meek.

And so the Corinthians or a group of them had been captivated by some outwardly impressive ministers from Judea. And power and prestige lay at the heart of their ministry. They even showed Paul the fancy newsletters and mailings that were being sent out by other ministries.

Listen to it. 2 Corinthians 3 .1 Paul says, Do I need like some people to be commended by written certificates either to you or from you? He said, I don't need a fancy newsletter to build myself up. Also this same group was caught up in exotic, ecstatic, and visionary experiences to legitimize their claims as being superior ministers.

2 Corinthians 5 .12 listen to it. Paul says, For we commend not ourselves again to you, but to give you occasion to glory in our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory on appearance and not in heart.

And what Paul was saying is that he refused to play the flesh game that others were playing. He said, I'm not going to try to endear myself to you by preaching the latest, the most fashionable gospel, the gospel that is attractive to the flesh and pulls in the crowds and pulls in the money.

He said, I'm not going to commend or endear myself to you in this manner. He said, that's carnal, that's flesh. Paul says, You want me to be like other preachers that preach exciting, exotic, mind-boggling experiences.

You want me to do this so you can answer these others who pride themselves not on character, but on outward appearances. They are proud of externals instead of inward realities. And you know the sad thing is that there is the same appeal today in the church to the flesh.

But Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10, 3 and 4, he says, Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war in the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. You see the Corinthians felt Paul, felt that Paul was timid.

They said his letters were very authoritative, but in person he was timid. They wanted a more fleshly, a more worldly type of pastor, as do many in the body of Christ today. 2 Corinthians 12, 6, let me continue to follow this through, listen to it carefully.

Paul says, Though I would desire to glory or to boast, I would be a fool for doing so. For I will say the truth, but now I will refrain from it. He said, I want to share with you, but now I have to refrain from it, because I do not want anyone to form an estimate of me, which is influenced by the wonderful character of these revelations, and thus to think more of me than is justified by my words or conduct.

You see there was nothing to Paul beyond what could be seen or heard. His power was to be experienced only in the gospel he spoke, not in himself. In himself he was nothing, he was nobody, just an ordinary servant of God.

But these new breed of ministers, however, apparently presented themselves as powerful, as extraordinary people. And throughout history ministers have sought to make an impact on people in terms of their supposed personal powers, or their personal qualities.

And Christians and congregations who fail to see that God's power is found in His Word, they are vulnerable to ministers who possess or claim to possess extraordinary powers, or powers of personal charisma.

And Paul says, I won't go down that road. Those are carnal weapons, they're not weapons of God's warfare. And Paul's critics in despising his humility and his ordinary humanity, revealed that they, not Paul, were worldly in their perceptions and therefore lacking the true power of God.

They were in fact relying on carnal weapons of warfare to carry out the work of God. Now, I said that in order to say this. The point of Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians 10 verses 1 -5, is that all carnal and all fleshly thoughts or approaches to ministry, or in our Christian walk, must be exposed, they must be cast down.

You see, it does not matter how good something sounds or feels or appears to be. If there's flesh in it, if there's vanity in it, then it must be cast down. Let me read 2 Corinthians 10 -5 again from another translation.

It says, we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. You know what the Lord showed me?

The Lord showed me that the mind is like the air controller's terminal at an airport. We are the controller under God's power and authority. There are some thoughts like airplanes that should not be permitted to land.

They are filled with evil vain things on board, and we are not to give them a landing strip. I don't know about you, but every once in a while there comes one buzzing around. And listen, you can't prevent them from buzzing your airstrip, but you sure can do something about whether they land or not.

And every once in a while one of these tries to buzz me and I say to him, where did that come from? You know what I'm talking about. An enemy aircraft, an evil aircraft that tries to land. And very often it will get very close and you recognize what it is and you have to cast it out.

And let it go. Let it take off like a good conquered airplane. And if they do perchance happen to land, we are to dispense weapons immediately to destroy that aircraft and that evil thought. But you know sometimes an aircraft lands on the airstrip of our minds and it appears to be very friendly.

In fact, it may be piloted by somebody you know. Or every once in a while there comes someone flying into the church. And they have got the most fantastic story. They've got the most fantastic vision.

They've got the most fantastic thing. And I watch people run on board, jump on board. Never test it. Never discern it. It's an aircraft with religious symbols on it. And you know what's on it? I call it AOL Airlines.

AOL Airlines. It's an angel of light. It's an angel of light and you have to discern it and know that it's not from God. And what is behind it is a vain imagination. That's probably the hardest type of thought and imagination to deal with.

Vain Glory and Self-Exalting Ministry Visions

But you'll note that I've called this message casting down vain imaginations. That word vain is not in the scripture. I've inserted the word vain. Vain means empty or worthless. And I want to share with you just a few vain imaginations that need to be cast down.

For example, we are not to seek for ourselves vain glory. You see, many a vain imagination is motivated by a desire for personal gain or personal glory. Listen to Galatians 5, 24 -26. It says,. And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with his affection and lust.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desiring vain glory. Provoking one another and envying one another. And what that really means when it says let us not be desiring vain glory, which leads to provoking one another and envying one another.

You see, when we walk in the Spirit, we don't need to look for honor and popularity, which leads to jealousy and hard feelings. That's what Galatians is saying. And you see, what is behind some of the things that Christians feel God is leading them to do or calling them to do, are actually things promoted by vain imaginations.

And it's the kind of thing that promotes more the individual than it does the cause of Christ. We pastors are often approached. We're approached by somebody who will show up here at the church. They'll show up here at the office.

And they have a vision. They have a dream or something else that God supposedly has called them to do. And they want us, they want our blessing on it. And so we listen. And very often, we detect what the bottom line is.

And you know what the bottom line is? It's a project that sets that person up as a hero, as the center of attention. And usually, when we see that, we smell flesh in that so-called vision. And if and when we tell that person they need to cast down a vain imagination, they get very indignant and go on their way.

Now if God's calling you to do something, the way that you can test it is this. What or who is at the center of it? Is it Jesus or is it you? Is it Jesus or your project? Is it Jesus or your prophecy?

Remember John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a man who the worst thing about his situation is not that he lost his head, but that he lost his job. He came along and introduced Jesus. And then when Jesus came along, he had to disappear.

He was out of the picture. And that's one of the ways that you can test whether God has shown you something or not. One of the tests will be, he must increase, but I must decrease. Psalms 114 and 13 says, I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love.

Jeremiah 414 says, O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? And if you've got something that God's put on your heart, if you're the center of it, mark it down, mark it down.

It came from a vain imagination. It was not prompted by the Spirit of God. Let me go on. Go with me to 1 Timothy chapter 1. I want to talk to you about something else that are the product of vain imaginations, and they're called vain janglings.

Vain Janglings and Prosperity Teaching

And all I want to tell you, is there ever a jangling that's going on in the body of Christ today? You've got to read this. You've got to see this. This is 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 5 and 6. It says, Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of a faith unfamed, or a faith without hypocrisy, from which some have swerved, or erred, having turned aside to vain jangling.

And that jangling means they have gone astray into a wilderness of words. It means babbling. It means vain words. And you see, there are a lot of vain janglings or vain empty words going forth from the pulpit today.

Be on guard. These vain words and vain teachings come out of vain hearts and vain imaginations, and they will lead you into a spiritual wilderness. Let me give you an example of some vain teaching. I quote from a book review in a Christian magazine, a new book that's out, by Oral Roberts, entitled, How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor.

Now you talk about vain words and vain imagination. The review begins with the question, Did Jesus live in a nice house and wear expensive clothes? Oral says yes. He lists seven ways to know Jesus was not poor.

Number one, I'm going to take you through these. This is an example of vain jangling. Go to John chapter one, and I want you to read something. This is the most incredible thing that I have ever seen in 40 plus years of my life.

John chapter one. No, that was vanity. I'm 49. I better say it. But I'm not the senior pastor. Where's Brother Mario down there? You know the other day I was with a brother in our church, and he said to me, Who's older, you and your brother?

I said, I am insulted. I am insulted. God will have to help me to forgive you. But in all my years of ministry, I've never heard and seen anything like this. Here's number one reason why Jesus was not poor.

Number one, because he had a house large enough for guests. Here's a scripture that's based on. This is a new revelation to me. Here's the verses. And again the next day after Jesus stood and two of his, this is John 135.

Again the next day after John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye?

And they said unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Master, where dwellest thou? And he said unto them, Come and see. I live in a penthouse at Battery Park City. And he said unto them, Come and see.

They came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. Now those are the four verses that dear brother Oral uses to prove that Jesus was not poor and that he had a large house.

Now listen to me. In 2000 years of Bible history and theology, no theologian has ever in the history ever interpreted those verses to mean that Jesus had a large house. That is what you call vain imagination.

Secondly, Jesus had so much money he needed a treasure. Well yes, Jesus had Judas, but Judas betrayed Jesus over money and then killed himself refusing to have anything to do with the 30 pieces of silver.

And to build a doctrine of prosperity over that, this fact is the height of vanity. You talk about vain imagination, that to me wins the prize. Number three, Jesus had a large team he supported financially.

The proof verse is Luke 8 and 1. Luke 8 and 1. Now I want to take you through this because I'm just, I'm not only singling this particular thing out because when I read it I was so astounded. I was beside, I didn't even know how to respond.

I was totally wiped out. Jesus had a large team. This is Luke 8 and 1. And it came to pass afterward that he went throughout every city and village preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God and the 12 were with him.

That's the verse. That's the proof verse that Jesus supported his other team members financially. Folks, I don't, you know, your guesses, the only way, the only way you can interpret that is to have a vain imagination.

Number four, Jesus had a faithful group of financial partners who gave him money. Here's verses 2 and 3. I suppose there is some relevance here. It says, and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom were seven devils, and Joanna, the wife of Herod, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

Number four, Jesus wore costly designer clothes. Turn to John. You have to see this for yourself. I kid you not. I kid you not. John 19. John 19 verses 23 and 24. Let's see. Let me see. 19. Is that it?

23 and 24. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified him, took his garments and made four parts to every soldier apart, and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

They said, therefore, among themselves, Let us rend it, but cast lots for it. Whose it shall be that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots.

Those things, therefore, the soldiers did. Why did they do it? They did because it was prophesied. It had nothing to do with the cloth. Number six. You know, I'm starting to sound like David Wilkerson tonight.

I'm getting angry. He doesn't get angry. But something gets stirred in my spirit. Number six. Jesus was put in a rich man's trust to ensure proper burial. Jesus was put in a rich man's trust to ensure proper burial.

That is another reason why he was not poor. My friend, he didn't have any money to bury himself. Someone else had to provide the money. And number seven. It is Jesus' riches by which God supplies all your needs.

Well, that's true. But it's his riches in glory. Hallelujah. It's his spiritual riches. Now, Ministries Today Review says this about the book. We encourage you to read this with an open mind. Then purchase the book and study it the same way.

Do not let your media-formed opinions of Robert's fundraising methods rob you of a Bible truth, unquote. Now, this book is probably the most blatant yet sad example of a teaching that is pawned off to the body of Christ as Bible truth, but it is the product of vain imaginations.

Some of the preaching or much, I wouldn't know how to judge it, but a great deal of the preaching that is coming from the pulpit today is coming out of vain imaginations. And where the heart is vain, the teachings are vain.

Here is Jeremiah's response to some of today's teaching that I'm talking about. Jeremiah, don't turn there, let me read it to you. Jeremiah 430. And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou closest thyself with crimson, though thou closest thyself with designer clothes, though thou deckest thyself with ornaments of gold, though thou rendest thy face with paintings, that's portraying the epitome of prosperity, though thou rendest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair.

Thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. And my friend, that's exactly what happens to some of the vain teaching and vain imagination that comes from the pulpit. It does nothing for the heart and in the end, people despise the very ones that are promoting it.

Flattering Visions and Testing Prophecy

Now a third kind of vain imagination is what I call a flattering vision. Listen to Ezekiel 12 24. It says, for there shall be no more any vain vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

The Jerusalem Bible says, for there shall be no empty vision, no deceitful prophecy. You know, I want to say something tonight, and I want to say it very carefully, and I trust that I will not be misunderstood, but I know, I believe I have the mind of the Lord.

Many of the flattering visions that we see have either to do with the exalting and ministry of the person giving it, or the exalting of the person through some personal gain. Over the years, I've heard more than one young man or one young lady feel certain that God spoke to them that such and such a person was going to marry them.

Now I have seen that happen. I have seen that legitimately happen, that God did do that. But for every one genuine that I've seen, I've seen nine or ten, for every one genuine, I've seen nine or ten that were the product of vain imagination.

Now, the Lord spoke to my wife and told her to marry me. Not because she wanted to, because I chased her and I was convinced that we had to get married, but she couldn't see it, and finally God said, you better do it or else.

But, you know, she's asked my forgiveness for that over and over and over since we've been married. But no, we had nothing, no vision, but there are times when God does speak to a person like that. But I can tell you from personal observation that nine times out of ten, God has not spoken to the person, but that so-called leading was a vain imagination, a flattering vision of Mr. Wonderful coming like Prince Charming to rescue a lonely soul out of singlehood or widowhood.

And I have people who've had the most fantastic, they felt it was of God, they were positive that this one individual was for them, and they'd never met the individual. Now, if God has told you something like this, or even something along some other line, you'd better test it, and the first thing you do is to do what Mary did.

You know what Mary did when the angel came to her and gave her that fantastic prophecy? You know what she did? She shut her mouth and she pondered it in her heart. She pondered it in her heart. And listen, if it's of God, you won't have to do one thing.

You won't have to say one thing. It will come to pass, hallelujah. What are we to do with vain imaginations? Paul says that they are like fortresses that are to be and can be cast down and destroyed. And the reason that they must be cast down is that they can place us in a position of being in rebellion against God.

It says, casting down imaginations and every high thing, every high thing, that's what it's called, a high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God. You see, some of the very things that appear to be from God or of God are in fact things that are exalted against the knowledge of God.

And I've seen some people who have some dream or vision and they're so captivated by it, they literally are a prisoner to it. They are in a fortress. They're in a mentality within that and they will not come down.

You can't get them down from it. You can't get up to them and bring them down from it. No, they're right there. And they're a prisoner to that thing. And they refuse to come down. And it's often easier to get a drug addict down off his drug high than it is to get a Christian down off his or her religious or so-called spiritual high thing.

The man who wrote the book that Jesus was going to come, 1988, September the 14th, that was a high thing. That's the very thing that Scripture is talking about. And now he's changed it and he said, well, it's going to be 1989 instead.

He missed it by one year. But do you know what that high thing is? It's like the high places in the Old Testament. It becomes a religious idol. And the Lord says, if you have such a high thing in your life, let it be cast down.

Note the Scripture says we are to cast down. We're to pull down. We're to demolish everything. It says everything, everything that rears its proud head against the knowledge of God. You know, the Lord put this on my heart also.

This was not a part of my preparation or my notes. But the Lord put it on my heart before we came to this service. And I've got to share it with you very quickly. You know, there's another kind of vain imagination that can overcome us and overtake us.

And you know what it is? It's a belief or it's a feeling towards another brother or sister in the church or the body of Christ who may have injured us and may have hurt us. And we get a vain, we get a thought in our mind that we even think may be from God that unless they repent, unless they make it right with us, that they're going to come under judgment.

And we may even have some ill will, ill feeling towards us. And you can have vain imaginations towards other people who have hurt you. And the Lord says, that also has to be brought down. It has to be cast down.

You can even think it's of God. And I've had people say, God has showed me, God has shown me that they're going to come under judgment. And it can be just out of the vanity and the bitterness of your own heart.

Bringing Thoughts Into Christ’s Obedience

Now let me begin to wrap up the message. Where or what are we to do with vain imaginations? We're told where to put them. It says, and bring into captivity every thought. You see, instead of being captive to vain or evil imaginations and thoughts, those thoughts can themselves be taken captive.

Bringing into captivity conveys more than merely taking captive. Really, it means leading captive as in a triumphant procession, as if you have gained victory, glorious victory over something. You see, Paul may have been thinking when he wrote this about a time in the area of Tarsus where he grew up, some 60 years before he was born.

He may have heard the story of how the mountains around Tarsus had been infested with pirates who would come in from the sea with their booty, with their stolen goods, and they would make fortresses up in the mountains and the hills around Tarsus.

And the hills were literally filled with these inaccessible hill fortresses where these men would live off of their booty. And then it was Pompey the Great who organized an expedition and he cleared out this nest of robbers and he reduced 120 forts to ruin and he carried captive over 10 ,000 prisoners.

Now, Paul may have had this in mind when he wrote this. And if you have some vain, empty, or worse, an evil thought lodged in your mind like one of those inaccessible hill forts or like a pirate hidden with their booty, God wants to send the Holy Spirit.

He wants to send a Holy Ghost army and root that out and rid you of that vain imagination. You see, usually the very last thing to go, the most difficult thing to get rid of in our walk of righteousness after we've dealt with outward sins, one of the very last areas to get rid of is in the mind and in the thought life.

And there may still be remaining there these high things, these fortresses in the mind. The sins of the mind are the last habitation of the devil, but they've got to go as well. They've got to go as well.

You see, the mind is like a city. Do you know the definition of a head? From one ear to another ear is one block. And you know what it's like? It's like a city. It's like a city where there are people running back and forth, and those people running the streets are your thoughts, and they are to be taken into captivity.

And you see, monarchs or kings of old, when they subdued a country, they removed the people to some distant place. And when the Lord captivates the mind or our thoughts, He leads them out and wants to lead them out to another place where you can say they do not have to have a place on this block.

Hallelujah. They do not have to have a landing strip here. Now, what is the place to which we are to bring our thoughts and our ideas and our wishes and our hopes and our dreams? There it is. It's very simple.

It's in that verse. It says we're to bring them to the obedience of Christ. We are to compel every human thought to surrender in obedience to Christ. Do you know what our thought life is like? It's like a sinner who comes here to Times Square Church.

If a sinner walks into this church and they hear the message of righteousness, they're either going to bow down to Christ or they're going to run out, they're going to walk out and flee. And when our thoughts are brought to the obedience of Christ, they either change or they run off to find another mind to try and possess.

You know, recently I had to go through some, my house down in Texas sold and I had to go through a bunch of boxes of books. So many books, I didn't realize I had so many. You've heard me say it before, I guess I am a bookaholic.

And all my books from years of ministry were all together and I had to go through them. And you know something, I was embarrassed. I was so embarrassed to see how many were vain, were empty, were worthless.

I'm talking about Christian books. They're not secular books. It wasn't, you know, racy novels or worldly. I'm talking about Christian books. And here I was, I was having to go through all this and I'd pick these up and say, I bought this, I read this, and I had one junk pile over here.

And I would go through another and I'd say to myself, this one can conform to the image of Jesus Christ. The contents of this are in line to the obedience of Jesus Christ. I'll keep this one here. Here comes another one into this pile.

And as I was doing that, I thought, that's exactly what you and I have to do with all of the thoughts that come into our life. We have to be in that position of discernment. We have to be in that position of discretion.

We have to have a pile and say, if this conforms to the image of Jesus Christ, then I'll keep it. Then I'll let it live in my mind. If it doesn't, then it's got to go into the trash can. A wise man will be the master of his mind.

A fool will be its slave. Let me read to you one last scripture. I want to tell you one last thing why this is so important. Let me tell you how important it is to pull down strongholds and to deal with vain imaginations because, you see, not only is your spiritual welfare at stake, but even eternity may be at stake.