Our minds are delicate and impressionable. So impressionable that many of us know the repercussions/effects of watching horror films and the nightmares that come from them.

Watching the news everyday could also have a negative effect on your brain, because the media serves its own agenda – there’s a reason why the news always starts with shootings, fear, and lost hope. There’s a reason why t.v. has so much trash on it today. Corporations pay billions of dollars to advertising agencies each year to reach your mind, heart, and ultimately your soul.
 

Yes, we do need information, and I guess if you are the ‘strongest’ Christian you may be telling yourself that you can say, hear, or see just about anything and your mind, heart, and soul are guarded from negative impressions and influences - WRONG.

I’ve had the privilege of working at some of the top (fortune 500) corporate offices. For about 15 years, I worked mostly as an Administrative Assistant supporting leaders of the sales department. I have typed strategies, goals, plans, targeted audiences (and the reasons behind them), spreadsheets with sales figures (what strategies work and fail and $$ to support these figures). I’ve learned how to answer the phone in all of the right ways in order to build relationships, etc. to MAKE MONEY!

I sat through sales meeting upon sales meeting taking notes and serving drinks…and I know for a fact that what the corporate office targets the most, is your mind and your heart, in order for you to be influenced enough to reach into your pocket book and wallet.

Did you know that restaurants misspell the words on their signs, out in front of their establishments, on purpose? Yes, by them misspelling the sign, it catches your attention easily. You may judge the manager and say – “look there Harold, they spelled dessert – desserk, well those stupid idiots need more education”. All the while they are inside serving the Scrumptious, Smooth & Creamy, Mouth Watering, Tripple-Layered, Chocolate Crumb Cake, served in an Edible Waffle Bowl, covered with Creamy (and ON SALE – FOR A LIMITED TIME) desserk to each and every customer in the place.

Folks, whether we realize it or not, our minds are impressionable! What we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, smoke, drink, and learn, stays with us sometimes an entire lifetime.

It is a car salesman’s number one job to get you behind the wheel of a new vehicle, because statistics show that by you just getting behind the wheel and test driving the vehicle, you will probably buy the car!

I was taught that there are 3 different types of people that a sales person can focus on to guarantee the sale:  RELATIONSHIP customers – simply, if they like you or your

company, they will buy from you.  ANALYTICAL customers – you must explain WHY the product is better than all the rest (down to the type of bolt that is holding on the wheel). Then lastly, the BOTTOM-LINE customers – how much is this going to cost me, and how much am I going to SAVE!   Now I know if you are reading this, you know exactly what type of ‘sucker’, I mean person, you are.

Folks, advertising agencies know our psychy down to a color. Red gets us excited and hungry (think McDonalds), blues cool us off (think ice cream stores). Even with kids, did you know that if you put troubled kids into a PINK room, they behave better?

Now, I know most of you are intelligent (flattery), and you already know most of this information (flattery), but you may be asking yourself, what in the world does this have to do with Jesus or the title of this inspiration ‘Go Set  Ready!’ (get to the point). 

As a Christian, you know that (YOU) should be RUNNING a race for Jesus. Most of us, yes most of us, are sleeping or just barely walking (stepping on toes). Why are we disconnected from God? Well, since you asked, (putting words in your mouth) I will tell you (I’m a big help!).

 
    1.     Are you studying the Bible everyday?  Bible = God’s instruction book.

    2.     If you are studying the Bible everyday, are you listening and doing, or just reading?

    3.     Do you think you are worthless and unimportant? Not True.

(Please keep in mind that I am a convicted felon. Not only that, but after 17 years

             of smoking ‘weed’, I shouldn’t have enough brain cells to put a sentence

             together, but if God has a purpose for my life (and yours) – what is stopping Him?)

4.      So you could never be perfect. Who is? If you were perfect, you wouldn’t need a

             Savior. (the Bible is full of people that were far from perfect, but willing.

5.      “Everyone around me are…” My mom always told me “I don’t care about anybody else, you are my kid!”). Well, your God’s kid, right?

6.      Are you praying? Well, even if your not, if you are a child of God, then your Holy Spirit is praying for you.  I do recommend that you do talk to God though (to establish a friendship – He doesn’t want to be just a Savior).

7.      Are you living in truth? Are you being honest with yourself – And God?

8.      Do you believe in all of God’s powers, or are you picking and choosing?

9.      Are you telling God that you’re sorry?

10.  Are you being a witness to how you were before God saved you, and telling others what Jesus has done for YOU, or are you too ashamed/closet Christian, so all your focus

      is on others?

Folks, we are at a critical time in history, and I believe with all of my heart that we are nearing the last days. If God can use me, God can use you!

If you are willing to love another person, tell others your personal testimony, show others your weaknesses, tell God you are sorry, give God what is God’s, then my friend, you too can be running! And I know, just as I know my name is Glen, that God can use YOU – despite your mind full of junk.

Most of us know the words of starting a race: Ready, Set, Go!  But, this morning at 2am, God gave me this to say: We have to re-train our minds to what God wants. It may be hard for you, just like it is hard to say: Go  Set   Ready! – because we have been trained (for years), and have put garbage in our minds, and ultimately have handed our minds, hearts, and souls over to Satan.

I encourage you to get: (READY – use all of the storms in your life and your own personal testimony to reach others - God already has you READY, just be willing). 

(SET – your affections on things above and not on things of the earth - in this earth, our minds are easily tricked into buying lies), and (GO – TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE FOR YOU!).

One of the wisest statements ever quoted, was by missionary Jim Elliot, that has left a huge impression on my own mind, heart, and soul: "Wherever you are, be all there". I recommend reading his wife Elizabeth's great classic (Through Gates of Splendor).

Please click on the video below.

In Jesus Name,

In His Hands,

Love, Glen