If You Can Change Your Mind, You Can Change Your Life.

By Kevin R. Cropper

Do you know your mind? It's been with you since day one but do you really know it? How you think affects who you are. Do you think optimistically or pessimistically? Do you think success or failure? In this book Kevin R. Cropper shows you how your mind directly affects your goals and destinations in life. He helps you to determine if it's time for a change of mind. If you are tired of suffering all of the ill effects of negative, counter-productive and destructive thinking, then it's time to change your mind so that you can change your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512777789

Kevin R. Cropper

Kevin R. Cropper, D.D. is the senior pastor of the Ark of Safety Christian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for over 15 years. He is the husband of Pastor Brenda Cropper and the father of Ardell, Kaveena and Justin. It is his desire to help the people of God and anyone that desires help to overcome the challenges that life presents. He enjoys quiet time by watching classic movies with his wife and creative time by playing the bass.

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Copyright © 2017 Kevin R. Cropper.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-7779-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7780-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7778-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017903238

WestBow Press rev. date: 4/19/2017

Foreword

Do you know your mind? It’s been with you since day one, but do you really know it? Is it just a part of you that seems to have a life of its own, or do you actively determine what you allow and what you won’t allow in it? There are those who think that the mind generates thoughts according to its own will, but that is a total misnomer. Our minds should be in subjection to our wills—not vice-versa. In other words, what you allow your mind to do is what it does. If you don’t discipline your mind to function in the capacity that you determine, you will actually become a slave to your own mind.

The word of God lists various passages pertaining to the mind. Here are a few of them. Except where noted, all Bible verses are taken from the King James version of the Holy Bible.

• For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)

• For the people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:6b)

• You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)

• And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep you hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)

• And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12:30)

• And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. (Luke 12:29 NKJV)

• For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot. (Romans 8:7 RSV)

• And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (Ephesians 4:23)

• Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)

• For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

• 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. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV)

The purpose for this book is to recognize the effect that the mind has on our bodies, our relationships, our failures and successes, and our lives as a whole.

Our thoughts reflect the positive and the negative. They can be optimistic or pessimistic. Victory or defeat starts in the mind. As a result, our lives are a reflection of the thoughts we think.

In showing how our minds directly affect our destinations and goals in life, this book is designed to help you see the effects your mind has in your life and to overcome the challenges that come as a result of your thoughts.

Not only will this book reveal the effects of our thoughts, but it will also show you how you can begin to change your mindset from destructive to constructive thinking, from hopelessness to hopefulness, and from failure to success. It is time for a change, and only you can make it happen.

It begins with your mind.

Like every productive exercise regimen, there has to be a starting point. When it comes to exercising the body, you start with a warm-up to prepare the body for upcoming change from its usual function.

For the mind, the preparation for change starts with recognizing how you currently think and then making a conscious effort to change the unproductive or even destructive areas of thinking. What is deftly important is to know why you think the way you do. Most of us have never looked back to determine how our minds were formulated in early childhood. You would not believe the number of actions affecting your life today that are a result of what was inputted, imparted, or conditioned in you in your early days. At some point, many of us may have wondered why we do things in a certain way or why we act the way we do. Don’t give up hope. Change is possible, but it takes concerted, diligent, and committed effort as well as patience.

To quote from Sly and the Family Stone, You can make it if you try.

I received the phrase if you can change your mind, you can change your life from the Lord while prayerfully meditating on the scriptural passage found in Romans 12:2:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

It had such a profound effect on my understanding of the passage that I’ve been using it ever since to encourage anyone and everyone I can to understand that your mind is the gateway to change in your life.

If you are tired of suffering from all of the ill effects of negative, counterproductive, and destructive thinking, and you want to begin to make a positive change in your life, this may be just the book that will help you to get started on your way to effective mind transformation.

There is no need to wait; you can begin this transformational journey right now.

Remember: If you can change your mind, you can change your life.

Dedicated to the wife of my youth,

Brenda, the love of my life

(Proverbs 5:18).

Acknowledgments

This book has come into existence because of those who have impacted my life and, as a result, have been instrumental in allowing this book to come to fruition. In my attempt to express my gratitude, it would be impossible to name them all, so I will attempt to acknowledge those who have had direct input in the conception, writing, editing, publishing, distribution, and prayers for this book and have sowed seed to bring it into existence.

I’d like to start by acknowledging my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for saving my soul more than twenty-five years ago and for keeping me through all of the trials, tribulations, persecutions, struggles, challenges, problems, adversities, self-doubts, sufferings, and everything else that at times hinders my spiritual relationship with Him. I love the Lord because He first loved me.

I thank my wife, Brenda, for being the love and joy of my life, my best friend, and my inspiration. You are the one I share my love of music with. You have shared with me the joys of classic movies and oldies music, which I used to think were reserved for my mom and other older people. I was wrong. Thank you for your undying love and for sharing your life with me.

I thank our children, Ardell and daughter-in-law, Desiree, Kaveena, and Justin for allowing me the joys of fatherhood and for allowing me to apply the word of God in their lives by training them up in the way they should go.

I’d like to thank my grandchildren, Jashanay, Iesha, Kayla, Makenzie, and the newest additions to the family, the twins, Ayden and Ethan. You are all a joy to my heart.

Thank you, Mom, for being a loving mother and for giving your all to raise me, my brother, and my sisters to the best of your ability. I couldn’t ask for anything more or for a better mom than you. Thank you, God bless you, and I love you.

Thank you, Dad, for instilling in me the entrepreneurial spirit that I possess. God used you to encourage me in ways that you probably aren’t even aware of. God bless you, and I love you.

Thanks to my siblings, Steven, Tracy, and Felicia, for being the greatest brother and sisters that one could have. I’m thankful to be your brother.

Thank you to those who have had a spiritual influence in my Christian development: Rev. and Mrs. Raymond L. Lassiter Jr.; the late Dr. Howard L. Jameson; Bishop Eric A. Lambert Jr.; Apostle Levonzia and Saverna Stevens; Pastor Eileen Christian; my fellow pastors from the Bethel Deliverance International Fellowship of Churches; and all my other brother and sisters in Christ who are way too numerous to name.

I thank the Ark of Safety Christian Church members who have prayed, sowed seed, and waited patiently for this book. I pray that it blesses your soul. God bless you.

Thank you to West Bow Press publishers and their exceptional staff for helping to make this book a reality.

And finally, I thank those who decided to purchase this book because of a desire to hopefully make their lives better and greater. God bless you. Be healed in Jesus name.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: What’s On Your Mind?

Chapter 2: You Are What You Think

Chapter 3: Junk In, Junk Out

Chapter 4: A Victim Of My Own Mind

Chapter 5: Out With The Old And In With The New

Chapter 6: An Idle Mind Is The Devil’s Workshop

Chapter 7: Dreaming Dreams, Visualizing Visions

Chapter 8: The Change Begins Within

Chapter 9: Living The Changed Life

Chapter 10: The Time For Change Is Now

Conclusion

Afterword

Introduction

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2 KJV)

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. (Romans 12:2 Amplified Version)

How many of us actually pay attention to the thoughts we think? In most cases, we just let them come and go indiscriminately as they please. We allow them full reign over us, to the point that our actions are initiated by the thoughts that we think. Just think about it. How many times in your life has a thought just popped into your mind and you allowed it access? It’s just like the pop-up ads that appear on your computer. It seems as though they come out of nowhere, but believe me my friend, they come from somewhere. The same thing occurs within our minds. Every thought has a point of origin. Many of those pop-up ads are coming from sources designed to win control over you by deceptively trying to get your attention. Their goal is to entice you in such a way that you would open the ad out of curiosity. Our thoughts, believe it or not, do the same thing. The difference is that unlike the hundreds or thousands of sources with online ads, there are only three sources in which your thoughts can be received. As you read on in this book, I will explain what they are. Even though they appear to be spontaneous impulses, every thought has a point of departure with your mind destined as the point of entry.

In other words, the thought came from somewhere and is trying to get somewhere. Because we aren’t really taught to monitor our thoughts, we will let almost anything in. As a matter of fact, our computers have protection from pop-ups with antivirus software, firewalls, and malware and pop-up blockers. Our minds do too. It’s called the will to accept or reject. The problem is that with certain thoughts being so deceptive, we have the tendency to accept that which should have been rejected. Our minds do not have any type of external protection from the damaging thoughts and negativity that work against us in a way that is similar to the