The Master's Mind - Book Review

The Master's Mind: The Art of Reshaping Your Thoughts

In fact, the Master has a whole different list of attributes in mind for us: hope, strength, beauty, joy, love, creativity, freedom, power, peace, patience, goodness, laughter, organization, effectiveness, and purpose.

Between the flesh, the world, and the Devil, we don't know what to think, and, therefore, our lives are filled with hurt, pain, and regret.

Jesus died to save us from our sins and set us free. He made a way for our souls to be rescued from our enemies.

It's time to return to the Master's Mind.

In approximately AD 31, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was asked the seemingly impossible question: "What is the greatest commandment of God?" Jesus simply replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength."

If we can master our minds and bring our thoughts into alignment with the Lord's will and perspective, the rest of our lives will follow suit.

Praise the Lord that He has told us who He is, who we are in the light of Him, and what we have been placed on this earth to do.

God does the rescuing and the saving. Our job is to steward what He has given us.

What we think determines our action. Martin Luther King Jr. determined that he would not rest until all people were viewed as God intended - equal. Mother Teresa determined that the poor would not be forgotten. Our Lord Jesus Christ walked His entire life on earth with a focus on completely obeying His heavenly Father, including the determination to end up on the cross to save us from our sins, as we see in this passage from Luke: "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51).

The Bible tells us of an ancient high-ranking official who made a personal choice that would dictate the rest of his life and effectiveness. His name was Naaman, and he was a Syrian army commander who had leprosy, a terrible skin disease. Knowing that he was desperate for healing, his little servant girl told him of a prophet in Israel who could heal him by God's power. Figuring that it was worth a shot, Naaman went to see the prophet Elisha. Elisha sent a messenger to tell Naaman that he would be healed if he washed seven times in the Jordan River.

Naaman was furious. He believed that the prophet was simply going to "call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure" him (2 Kings 5:11). When things didn't go the way he thought they should, he stormed off in a rage.

His attendant hurried after him and convinced him to reconsider. Sure, washing seven times was unorthodox, but what if it could heal him?

He relented - and came out healed from leprosy.

Naaman's false assumptions, ignorant thoughts, and prideful heart almost cost him his healing. What are we believing today that is keeping us from God's best?

It's true of God: Isaiah 14:24 tells us, "The LORD of hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand."

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place. (Acts 17:26)

Before the New York firefighters and police officers ran into the collapsing Twin Towers on the fateful day of 9/11, they thought about it. Their heroic choice to risk their lives to protect others from a burning building was the result of truly stunning thoughts: Their job is to rescue others and put them before themselves. They would not let fear dictate their response.

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasures produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who was explaining that our characters and beliefs determine the lives we live. Doing one thing on the outside doesn't make up for thinking another on the inside.

And when it comes to matters of faith, we spend the majority of our energy on sin management, completely avoiding the core issues. We'll never experience transformation until we address the thoughts at the root of our problems.

Bad thinking is dangerous. Wrong thinking can keeps us ineffective, wasting time on things that aren't important instead of living the lives God has for us.

Paul wrote in Romans about the distorted thinking common to humans and the consequences it brings. Since our sin nature is rooted in how we think our thoughts continue to be the primary block between us and God.

Jesus spoke about lust being equated with adultery.

Adam and Eve were the best of us: unadulterated humanity, good, pure, and perfect. But the day they ate the fruit that God told them not to eat, all of that changed. With their rebellion, sin entered the world and chaos was unleashed.

If you do not know the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love He demonstrated on the cross by dying for your sins, now is the time to engage with that truth.

God knows our plight. He knows we are hopelessly lost. When Adam and Eve threw away our birth right, He launched a redemption plan. The plan came to fruition approximately two thousand years ago, when God entered humanity and joined us where we were, in all our messiness. Doing all that we could not do, the God-man, Jesus Christ, offered up His perfect life - not only to satisfy our debt sin, but also to trade with us, the lost, so that we might be found and set free. We acknowledge that He is the King and His way is right. We offer open rights in which He can dwell by the power of His Holy Spirit so that we are never alone - not now, not ever.

"The most important thing about us is not what we do, but who and whose we are in Christ."

All He asks is that we stop fighting and let Him do what He does best - be our Savior and King. Paul the apostle wrote, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" ((Romans 5:1-2).

By definition, grace is "undeserved favor." Grace isn't earned; rather, it's given out of the goodness of someone else's heart.

Grace even cuts at the heart of the oldest and greatest of sin: pride. The same sin that caused the fall of Lucifer stirs in our souls. Once grace takes hold again, we experience peace.

God is working in us, and we can have faith in that process. But we also need to be aware of the biggest enemy of them all: the Devil.

The Devil is real, and he's a bad guy. He introduced the sin that brought down our world, he's a bully who picks on us every day, and he doesn't fight fair.

Listen to the apostle Peter: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Sin takes us from where we should be to where we should not be. Sin ruins our thoughts and poisons our hearts.

Sin is godlessness.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Therefore, God will never lead someone to sin; doing so goes against His very nature. He will test believers by putting them through difficult training that will strengthen them and reveal their current conditions (like a refiner's fire).

Satan seeks to harm.

God's intention is always for believers to emerge from a trial better than when they started, either in strength or in knowledge. He promises that every situation will have a way out - an escape hatch that can be utilized through obedience.

As we've seen, the Bible says that Jesus was tempted, yet was without sin. It also says, "In your anger do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26 NIV).

Acting on sin is temptation.

Praise the Lord that He is with us and that the Holy Spirit is helping us navigate all of this!

Nebuchadnezzar made a name for himself as a warrior king. He won the famous battle of Carchemish against the Egyptians the year he was called to throne. He fused his alliance with the Medes by marriage and expanded his territory by military force until he controlled much of the Middle East and all the trade routes across Mesopotamia.

He was so impressive that Saddam Hussein sought to claim his reincarnated personality. Hussein named one of his guard divisions after the ancient king and began rebuilding ancient Babylon in his honor, inscribing on the bricks, "To king Nebuchadnezzar in the reign of Hussein."

This great and powerful king lost his mind.

God leveled Nebuchadnezzar for pride and arrogance, and once that was done, he lifted his hand immediately and miraculously. Nevertheless, his story reminds us that even the might fall sometimes, and no mind is invulnerable.

Everybody remembers Mister Rogers' Neighbor right? But did you know that it aired from 1968 to 2001, produced 895 episodes, and earned four Emmy awards?

There's a reason that a Presbyterian reverend from Pennsylvania received the coveted Peabody Award, the Ralph Lowell Award, more than forty honorary degrees, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He wanted to use children's imaginations as God intended them - to think through new perspectives.

You and I are precious - and so is every human on earth.

On the day Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they sold their souls to the Enemy.

Jesus Christ needed to come to set us free. We are free to become what He created us to be and not be forced into the mold of our enemies.

Our Master paid for us.

Even if we are free, we still need a Savior. We are still designed for relationship with God as our Father. We are still built for His glory. We are not our own.

We long to worship.

Christianity needs to be a thriving relationship with God filled with the Holy Spirit and all the incredible blessings He has given us. We need to be so filled up that the Holy Spirit forces out evil.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit gives us "living water."

Paul says that we have been raised with Christ, which means we are a new creation, born again with all the sin of our lives dead and gone.

Transformation always begins in our thoughts.

When Jesus told His listeners to "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2), He did not simply mean "feel terrible for your wickedness now that I'm here." Repent doesn't only mean to turn away but to change one's mind and start agreeing with God.

Jesus Christ is the One who can set us free, not just when we get to heaven, but increasingly so right here on earth.

God will hold us accountable for how we manage our minds and handle our hearts.

One of the precious tools God has provided is supernatural protection for His children. The apostle Paul called it the armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-18.

Lance Hahn is the senior pastor of Bridgeway Christian Church in Rocklin, California. His first book, How to live in fear mastering the Art of Freaking Out, Chronicles his personal struggles with panic disorders and offers tools for thriving through fear. A popular speaker who enjoys writing, Lance is a husband to Suzi and father to two daughters.

Are You Living Your Best Life On Purpose? ... Book Review

Book Review . Sailor. U. S. Navy . Military & Personal Training . Coaching & Mentoring . Prostate Cancer . Sunday School Teacher . Veteran . Europe . Middle East . Israel . Trainer . Life Coach . Engineer . Biz Consultant . Motivational Speaker . Psychology . Ph D Student

This book is Inspiring and Motivation.

I am highly elated that Jon G. Hartman sent me an autographed copy of his book for review. My prayers are with him, all cancer patients, veterans and our troops around the world.

He was diagnosed with stage-two prostate cancer at the age of 48 (just six months prior to completing his book).

No good deed or success goes unnoticed without celebration and giving thanks. Be grateful in advance to God, and all whom took part in your journey thus far.

Celebrate and Reward Yourself.

Get Your Happy Dance On!

King David Danced!

Corporate America has played a big part in persuading our governments and the people into creating and becoming slaves to an economic god, the economy.

Only God knows the amount of time He has graciously gifted to you.


11 Key Areas for Your S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Balanced Life

1. Spiritually

2. Purpose

3. Passion

4. Wellness

5. Health

6. Personal Growth

7. Career

8. Financial

9. Relationship

10. Family

11. Social

Your S. M.A.R.T.E.R. Balanced Life

S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals are very: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely, Engaging, & Righteous.

GPS = God + Purpose + Significance

God has so graciously gifted you with your Life, talents, tools, and time.

Make Good Use of Down Time.

Walking, Driving, Showering, and daydreaming are good times to plan, reflect, and pray.




Regardless of your religious Belief system, your journey through this book will guide you to seek, realize, and live out your true Purpose in Life. You will learn and come to realize hopefully, that time is a gift from God.

This book is considered second to the Bible as a Life handbook to possibly help when parents, the church, and the community may have fallen short in being effective and efficient in raising and educating past and present generations.

A handbook to remind you and encourage you to always love and respect your family, your neighbor, your environment, and you. To show you how to lead by example and utilize your mind, body, and spirit's full potential.

I understand this quite well: Jon G. Hartman, MBA, BSME, CPC shares "Though he is a follower of Jesus Christ, out of sincere love and respect, he must acknowledge many of those who have been part of the journey for what he learned (A Scripture from the Bible be ye wise as serpents & harmless as doves), even if he didn't agree with their personal Emotional Intelligence reasoning that they may believe and/or teach."

He believes his Purpose is to serve God, and then serve you by being a significant human being.

Much of the sharings in his book has been shared by authors (past and present), Biblical apostles, and Jesus.

He encourages the reader to learn more about Jesus, and to truly seek a personal relationship with God.

What do words like "joy" and "happiness" mean to you? What does success mean to you? How do you define what your Purpose is? Yes, our lives are shaped by the results of all experiences that involved Significant Emotional Pain & Significant Emotional Pleasures.

Before you can truly fulfill a Life of Purpose, you must first define exactly what these types of words describing pain and pleasure truly mean to You. At the end of the day, other people's definitions, opinions, and beliefs don't matter.

Your Belief System has been impacted by the family and culture you were born into, and whom you have surrounded yourself by throughout your Life that have either encouraged you to seek self-actualization.

Your Life exists because of God's grace and mercy. What you choose to do with your Life and how you choose to live it, is your gift in return to God.

None of this is possible without you rolling up your sleeves and preparing to take action by utilizing ALL of your mind, body, and spirit in order to seek and live your best Life On Purpose.

To have a Purpose is to have a plan, to have a plan is to have goals, to have goals is a sign of true passion, and passion is the driving force to get you to set and achieve Life goals that matter.

Your Purpose must contain Life goals.

This is where Life separates people who are just content, and those who hunger to learn more, live more, and love more. Truth be known, if you cannot love and respect yourself 100%, you will always hold back from giving 100% to others ... including God.

You joyfully use your gifted talents, wisdom, and love to serve God and mankind.

Don't get caught in the peer pressure trap of lowering your standards because of other people having a lesser expectation of themselves, or their limited Belief System.

Sure, you can't pick your family, but you don't have to surround yourself with them to the extent that you give up your personal power.

Train and workout with people that are more physically fit than you are, or better at any of the sports or activities you are training for.

Study with the people that seem to be subject-matter-experts, or at least very knowledgeable in the subject area that you are learning.

Surround yourself by couples that live a loving and healthy marriage by example, if you are seeking to better your existing relationship.

Surround yourself by as many strong Christian & Spiritual like-minded people as possible and learn from them all.

Ego and God cannot occupy the same place at the same time in your heart.

Things in your Life will happen and you will not be in control, and as a result, you are going to experience fear (fear = pain).

God created you for His Purpose, His love, & His joy. Your career, education, and personal successes are not needed beyond this world. However, they are needed today as part of your wonderful journey that allows you to live and express your Belief System.

Surprisingly, and even worse sometimes you win when you don't follow the rules or laws.

Rick Warren boldy wrote, "Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which your basic decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources.

In the Book of Habakkuk it says "Write the Vision & Make It Plain."

Remember the meaning of success is very different from person to person and culture to culture.

You learn this is not a game you can play by yourself, there are other people involved in this game, and you best have a good understanding of what their rules are.

That is why people, who give up on themselves, never thrive because they never get to feel and live Life with ultimate joy, happiness and fulfillment.

KISS. Keep It Simple Silly!

Most, if not all people have the same desires and needs, of ultimately seeking and experiencing joy and happiness, regardless if it is in a personal or professional relationship. We seek to have pleasure in all situations and avoid pain when possible.

Jon was inspired to write this chapter based on the principles taught by Robbins (2000), in his audio book, Getting the Edge. He identifies humans having six specific needs that are driving forces in their life: certainty, uncertainty, significance, connection, growth, and contribution.

It does not matter who you are, what your educations or experiences have been so far in your Life. We have all been there and experienced many levels of motivational passion and drive at some point in our lives. What is the secret of putting yourself in a state of passion about everything you do in Life? The passion of doing what it takes to become significant and serve God and humanity.

All people need diversity, uncertainty, and a little vanity in their Life. In my eyes this will teach you not to place your trust in man, but in God, for storms will come, things will just happen.

You are never too old to know something new. To earn a higher degree, new language, play a musical instrument, foster a child, or paint a monet.

Jon's Mother turned a young 70, and unfortunately, she had to bury three of his siblings over the past twelve years.

Had each of his siblings known exactly how long they had to live, he is certain, the quantity and experiences of their Life would have been much different, and perhaps their relationships with God as well.

As parents or guardians, it is our responsibility to get every child educated and on track as soon as possible. Your children are gifts from God.

Time, as you know it, will never be replaced!

The world was not created in one day, and neither was your attitude or Belief System.

Become Fit For Life!

Before you run out of time, make the best of it in what ever you do to be effective and efficient in your daily Life.

Setting goals drive you to serve with a purpose.

A good coach or teacher can train you to use all of the latest and greatest techniques and methodologies for reaching your goals.

Define and lay your goals out in every part of your Life.

In May 1980, Jon had turned seventeen when he barely finished his tenth year as a C-ish student. He dropped out of high school so he could join the military. He studied that summer and earned his GED.

He went from an E1 to being frocked to E5 in less than three years.

He decided to go to college after he got out of the Navy, and he had many academic adversities awaiting him along the way.

After he got out of the Nay, he took a decent job working in a chemical plant as a mechanic in North Haven, Connecticut and soon began taking night classes.

It took him three years studying part time to do it.

After three years of passion, pain, and joy, in the fall of 1992 he was awarded his Mechanical Engineer degree.

Only two people attended his graduation ceremony. He received few congratulations from family members, his mother, but very few from extended family members and friends. Not because they did not care, because for some, if they were to acknowledge his achievements, it meant they were staring in the face of their own failures.

He received his AA in 1989, and then his engineering degree in 1992, and his MBA in 2003.

Know when to excuse yourself from a conversation going nowhere.

Small talk can be very important and powerful when it is used Purposefully in an effective and efficient and manner involving relationships, networking, consoling, being cordial, and in business.

Look for subject-matter-experts in your church or community programs. Find a Life Coach, Big Brothers/Big Sister Program, Counselors, Your local non-profits, Support Groups, or Colleges.

You can choose to be a main character, by seeking to be santicified by God, or you can simply stand back and watch His story unfold without you being written into His last chapter, Jon titled it, "Eternity, The Last Beginning."

He suggests you could write a letter to yourself each year at a minimum. He recommend that you do this on your birthday.

This may be very personal information and you may not want to share it with just anyone. Teach your children and neighbor so that you can pass on a new tradition that will bring love, growth, and value to the present day, as well for your family's future, long after you are gone.

Jon G. Hartman is a Ph D. Student studying Industrial & Organizational Psychology. He holds a Master in Business & a Bachelor in Engineering Compounding 30 years of Real Life 101, he is a prominent author, motivational speaker, life coach, and business consultant working in the fields of self-development & training for individuals & business professionals, who are seeking to become successfully & spiritually grounded while living their Best Life.

He is a proud Veteran, who has served his country in the U.S. Navy with two tours in Europe and the Middle East. He had the opportunity to be in Israel (my dream vacation) and walk the streets and paths that were believed to be the very journey of Jesus Christ, where the true spiritual journey began for Jon.

He also has been a Sunday School Teacher and Elder within the Lutheran Church Community.