Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson Bryan Hudson

Today is the Juneteenth holiday. It is something that began as a black cultural holiday in Texas, and grew to become a national African-American cultural holiday, and became a national holiday on June 17, 2021.
A brief history of Juneteenth: 
News of the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered to Galveston, Texas, by Union General Gordon Granger. He arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, and issued General Order No. 3, an executive order by President Abraham Lincoln. Juneteenth celebrates the day when enslaved people in Texas were finally informed of their freedom, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that went into effect on January 1, 1863. This was also the beginning of what we call “watch night,” during which enslaved people were waiting and praying for the start of the new year 1863 which would signal the beginning of their freedom.
Slave owners were not willing to release enslaved people because they were profiting off of their free labor. General order 3 was ignored and enslaved people were not informed, so the Union Army was dispatched to Texas to enforce the proclamation.
It is difficult for us today to imagine the relief of mind to have the curse and brutality of slavery lifted. The executive order needed the force of congressional action to enshrine that freedom into the constitution. This came with the adoption of the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution. 
We should not underestimate the positive effect of that action on our African-American ancestors and for generations to follow. To this day, we should look upon that occasion as a lifting of a burden leading to a certain level of peace of mind. 
Many of the spiritual blessings we receive come from actions taken in world systems and our personal lives. For example, becoming debt-free brings great relief and peace of mind. Getting our children through school and college is another example of peace of mind. Things that we pray for God to do, are sometimes manifested in our circumstances.
For a more complete understanding of Juneteenth and the history that preceded it, read this outstanding article by Dr. Jemar Tisby about the history of Juneteenth. 

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1 Corinthians 16:13 (NASB), Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.
NT Greek word for “act like men” means, “To be courageous, make a man of, or make brave, to show oneself a man, be brave”
How Do Men/Fathers Act?
You can only answer that question from two perspectives:
Jesus and God’s Word
Personal Experience
 

Listen to My Message From Sunday, June 9, 2024
Next Level Thinking
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Special Edition of Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute: Talk #122
DAY #12:  Be A Next Level Thinker  
1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
The mind of Christ represents grace to share in the thoughts, plans and motives of God. 
Paul identifies two kinds of people. Locate yourself: 
There is the person who is pneumatikos. Pneuma is the word for Spirit. The person who is pneumatikos is sensitive to the Spirit and whose life is guided by the Spirit.Pneuma is that which makes a man different from the rest of creation. 
In 1 Cor. 2:14 Paul speaks of the man who is psuchikos. He lives as if there was nothing beyond physical life and there were no needs other than material needs, whose values are all physical and material. A man like that cannot understand spiritual things.
This is why the work of renewing the mind is so essential. We cannot have the mind of Christ apart from renewing our mind.
Jesus' Disciples only search their minds for the answer
Peter went into next level thinking
Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 
Peter had the Mind of Christ16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

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Mark 12:30, And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31"And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”
What does it means to love God with all your mind? The sense of this text is that Jesus is talking about loving God with your entire being. But it is interesting that he said we love God with our soul AND mind. Isn’t the mind part of the soul? Yes. But this word “mind” used here specifically speaks to thinking.
The NT Greek word is: διάνοια (dianoia) 
The mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring, understanding 
“A thinking over,” a way of thinking and feeling; thoughts, either good or bad
 
Jesus will take you into Next Level Thinking  if you want to go

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“Winning the Battle for Your Mind”






 
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Special Edition of Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute: Talk #121
 
Day #5 Firm Foundation Devotional Lesson:
 
1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV), Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
 
(New International Version)  Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.
 
We find our minds in various states: We can be serious or silly. We can be insightful or shallow. We can feel overwhelmed or empowered.
 
Life is a mixture of experiences. What people sometimes underestimate is their capacity to summon mental focus when needed. The ability to do that is necessary is often called “personal power.” There are times when we need to lean into focus and bring skills forward.
 

The term “gird up loins” means two things: 1) It is procreative power. Humans have the ability to bring children into the world. 2) It is suggestive of the alertness necessary for sobriety and for setting one's hope. (Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)
 
The word “sober" means serious minded.

 
For tasks that involve fulfilling some purpose of God, we need to place our faith in the hope of God's promises. We come to a place of alertness and readiness through prayer. This is my experience in preparing posts for this devotional. 
 
During the writing of this post, I made a mistake and lost about half of what was written during a time of God's inspiration. After letting my mind go to a place of disgust with myself for making such a “amateur” mistake, I summoned the focus to rewrite. God's inspiration did not leave when the mistake was made!
 
So, I had to “gird up the loins” of my mind, and get back to work!
 
Use your personal power (the ability to do what is necessary) with the help of the Holy Spirit. Tap the wells of “living water” (the power of the Holy Spirit) within. Summon your creative energy through God's grace. 
 
Jesus made all of this available to us when He brought “Grace and Truth.” (John 1:17)
 
 
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
 

1. What does it mean to “gird the loins of your mind?"
 
2. What does it look like when you summon your focus and tap the wells of Living Water?
 
3. Using these insights, in what areas do you need to use personal power to get something done?
 

 
ACTION ITEMS (What I will do with what I have learned):
 
 
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Get Your Copy of the Book:
“Winning the Battle for Your Mind”






 
 
 


SUBSCRIBE to the Firm Foundation blog to receive weekly insight and encouragement to your email in box
 
Visit and save this link to enjoy other Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute Talks.