Call of the Spirit Publications

May 4th, 2006

Today we celebrated the National Day of Prayer. It was a glorious time in the Lord and much was accomplished in the spirit. At the end of my pastor praying, this word from the Lord came to me:

“I will do all you have asked, for it is in line with My will.  But, know this, the demon forces that have been pushed back are just waiting to get right back to where they were before you prayed!  Without your continued pressure against them they’ll be able to resume their activity.  I need My people daily to pray and KEEP the realm of darkness pushed back from the areas of government, families, finances and lives in need.”  (I’m being opposed right now trying to type this out)

“My people have gotten into a pattern of forgetting the needs around them (including My need of their involvement) and once they have been stirred up to pray, they get excited for a time, but then slip right back into their day after day routine.  The realm of darkness knows this, so they wait for the pressure to subside that they may return to their destructive activity.  I’m looking for a people who will lay down their comfortable lives and take up their assigned crosses (what I’ve given them to do in My Kingdom, which will include prayer) every day and prepare the way for the return of My Son.”

As for this ministry, I’m looking every day for the return of the Lord.  Am I predicting when that will be?  Absolutely not!  No one knows the answer to that question!  But I believe we’ve been instructed by the One we call ‘our Lord’ to do the work of ministry to those around us in our everyday lives until He does come back.  Being led by His Spirit IN everything (which is the means by which we’ll prepare the way for the return of the Lord), pushing back the realm of darkness through prayer and obedience to our Commander-in-Chief.

We often quote: “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1a).  In other words, if the Lord isn’t directing a thing, He won’t be in it and His blessing won’t be on it.  So why don’t we just start out our day asking Him to direct our steps, direct our thoughts and direct our words (including our prayer life).  Then when the direction comes—DO IT!!  Simple eh?  We have His grace (ability), we have His Word and we have His Spirit.  No wonder Paul told the Philippian church: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (4:13).

Let’s go for it!  Let’s push back the forces of darkness around us and this nation!  If you’re finished with the devil running things around here, then let’s join together, cast him out and prepare the way of the Lord’s return!!

Growing up there were tell-tale signs that would give away what you had been doing. Your mother would ask, “Just where have you been?”  Maybe your pants were muddied.  Perhaps your face had chocolate on it, or the like.

Then having grown and married your spouse may have asked on occasion, “Where’ve you been?”  Perhaps you were running late for an appointment.  Yet another occasion for this query might be because you’ve come home with a certain smell about you.  Or maybe you had gotten an attitude that wasn’t typically yours; someone else had influenced you negatively and you carried it home with you.

Scripture teaches: “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1Corinthians 15:33)  “He who walks with wise men shall be wise” (Proverbs 13:20a). Why? Because mankind was created to imitate. Ever notice how two close friends, or a married couple who had been together for awhile, act and talk alike? They pick up on each others mannerisms. But it doesn’t happen casually. These folk spend some quality time with each other. They know intimate details about each other that nobody else knows.

Moses was that way with Jehovah.  The Bible says: “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11a).  When he returned with the Ten Commandments written in tablets, his face glowed with the glory of God: “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone” (Exodus 34:29b-30a).

We, too, shine with the love of Jesus when we spend time with Him.  Ephesians 5:1-2a says: “Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us” (AMP).

In the past few years I’ve been talking with the Lord a lot regarding the end-time move of God.  It’s promised that “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former” (Haggai 2:9a).  Joel even prophesied: “He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain” (2:23b).  That’s Holy Ghost anointing, moves of God.  We could say it this way: the anointing of the Holy Ghost experienced by the first believers combined with the anointing intended for the end-time believers!  WOW!  Just think of what we can accomplish with that much Holy Ghost power!!

Recently, in our ‘talks’ the Lord has impressed on my heart the following passage: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).  God used Peter and John to work a miracle for a man who had been crippled for forty years.  The result was five thousand men came to the Lord that day!  Now that’s a move of God!!  The simple point was these men had been with Jesus—He got off on them!  Yes, His Presence and Power!  His attitude toward sickness, being crippled or lack of any kind for that matter.

We were originally intended to be carriers of the glory of God (His Presence and Person, all that He is and has), man was clothed with it before sin entered in.  The choice to be carnally controlled caused the glory to depart from man.  We became leaky vessels; “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1). The King James Version says: “lest at any time we should let them slip.”  Paul explains that Moses put a veil over his face so the children of Israel couldn’t see the glory fade (see 2 Corinthians. 3:13).  Even the early Apostles needed re-fillings of the Holy Spirit to continue in the work of the Lord.

Paul admonished the church at Ephesus to “be being filled with the Spirit” (original Greek of Eph. 5:18).  That’s a state of infillings of the Holy Spirit.  We do leak, the glory does fade and we need to get tanked-up with the Presence of God that we may walk as children of Light.

Paul also talked of being a fragrance of Christ (see 2Corin. 2:15).  Having been with Him one gives off a fragrance that’s sweet smelling to the Father (and to others).  The opposite would be the stench of the world, what one ‘gives-off’ spending too much time with the world (you can fill-in the blanks).  So the question at this point would be: Where have you been?  What ‘fragrance’ are you giving off?  Go ahead—wash in the water of the Word, under the Blood and go sweeten somebody’s life!!

“Have the faith of God. (margin rendering)  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:22-23

The first aspect of faith I want to look at is the side we’ve all been made aware of for some time now—believing.  We all believe (or have faith in) things we’ve been told.  For instance: we believe the word of our employer that if we perform our job we’ll be paid so much at the end of the week, right?  So, day after day we labor believing the day is coming we’ll receive the reward of a pay check.  That’s faith.

Most of us will get into a car, start the engine, and put it in drive expecting the brakes to work when we press on the peddle; that’s another way to view faith, expectation: to believe in something.

To have the faith of God you have to hear His Word on a matter: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).  Another way to say it is: Faith begins where the will of God is known.  It’s impossible to have faith where someone’s will is unclear, God’s or anyone else’s.

On a side note, I believe that’s the biggest problem we have in the church today!  There’s been so much watering down of the pure Word of God, the Body of Christ isn’t sure if God is willing to do anything for them anymore or not!  Prosperity, healing, provision and protection have all been relegated to the sweet by and by.  Bunk!  If one would just soberly look into the perfect law of liberty (the pure Word of God) and read for themselves they would clearly see the Father’s heart and great desire to bless His children!  That’s a whole other subject, though.

The other side of faith is the action side.  To act on what you believe.  Notice, our foundational verse says the believing one will say something.  That’s action.  I’m not talking about confession here.  The initial role of confession is to school the heart to believe: “The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart” (Romans 10:8a).  The human heart (spirit, inner-man) is designed to believe, and it will believe first what you say, that’s why it’s so important to not be frivolous with your words.  If you’re always joking around and saying things you don’t really mean, your heart won’t know what to believe and your faith will be hindered.   “And shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”  The desired result will only come from a heart (inner-man) that truly believes.

There’s more to this action thing than just saying something though.  Let’s look at what James has to say about faith: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17).

The Amplified New Testament puts verse seventeen this way: “So also faith if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power—inoperative, dead.” James goes on to say: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’  Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (v. 18).  What’s he saying?  Mike Leach translation: You got a lot of nice talk, but you ain’t doin’ anything (i.e.: put up or shut up)!  Someone said it this way once: I can’t hear what you’re saying, ‘cause your actions are speaking so loudly.

It’s time we as the Church stop talking about how powerful and loving God is and start showing it!  The world doesn’t need any more preaching on how filthy they are, but God loves them!  We need to show them His love by taking care of their needs; healing their sick, freeing them of demonic oppression, binding up their broken hearts!  Freely we’ve received—freely we must give!

Jesus made an interesting statement in Luke’s account of the Gospel: “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b).  I don’t think He was talking about the faith that comes by hearing God’s Word here, I believe He’s looking for people who’ll be acting on it!  “But, be doers of the Word, and not hearers only!”  (James 1:22).

“..the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23)

Before I talk about worship, I want to bring out that the Father — Almighty God — is seeking (looking) for something! His eyes “run to and fro throughout the whole earth!” Why? Looking “to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

You see, God is a good God and He wants to bless people. He wants to show Himself strong on their behalf. If ever mankind needed for God to show-up in their lives and manifest His strength, it’s right now! When fear is on every front; knocking on every door; trying to steal, kill and destroy; God will be a refuge and fortress, a strong-tower, a present help in time of trouble! The qualifier is: He does it for those whose heart’s are loyal toward Him.

So, what is true worship?

Worship comes from the English words “worth ship.”  It speaks of value and honor for a magistrate or deity.  True worship is of the heart (rather, comes from the heart, one that’s loyal toward God; He knows if someone is faking or not).  The heart, in most cases, speaks of the spirit-man; the inner man or “the hidden man of the heart” (1 Peter 3:4); the real you.  Jesus said: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:24 KJV).

Man is created in the image and likeness of God; meaning, God is a Spirit being and man is a spirit being. The only acceptable worship for God must come from a loyal heart full of truth!

What is truth?

In praying to the Father, Jesus defines truth; He said: “Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).  So one could say a true worshiper will be born of truth (a product or child of truth): “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).  The conclusion would be that unless someone is born again (has called on the name of the Lord to be saved [Romans 10:13]) they don’t even qualify to worship God!  But we need to further instruct: TRUE WORSHIP not only comes from the loyal heart of a born-again child of God, but it will fall within the instructions outlined in the Word of God:  “Come before His presence with singing.  Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and    not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:2b-4).

Singing / Thanksgiving / Praise

TRUE WORSHIP will include any one or all of these.  This is not a formula.  God is not a robot that has buttons you can push to get the desired result!  Look at these as guidelines to understand the protocol for the worship God the Father is seeking.  “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).  This verse indicates that when we’re filled with the Word of God and we teach and admonish one another by the grace in our hearts it is being done to the Lord!

Now let’s couple that thought with Romans twelve verse one from the Amplified Bible: “make a decisive dedication of your bodies—presenting all your members and faculties—as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.”

In-a-nutshell; what we do day in and day out; how we treat others; the quality of work we provide our employers will greatly affect our worship! We cannot drink from the cup of darkness (act like the world) then minister before the Lord!

It’s time to wash our hands of the filth of this world and become true worshipers that Almighty God can look to bless with His Presence…for in His Presence is the fullness of joy!  In His Presence there comes times of refreshing!    Hallelujah!!

Beloved: Just this morning I came across possibly the most anointed three words one could ever use in prayer. You’ve probably heard them, even said them yourself. I’m sure I’ve heard teaching on them…even taught of them myself; but something happened inside me when I said them this morning to the Father.

No, it wasn’t: “I believe I receive” (that’s four words anyway). As powerful as they are. The words I’m talking about aren’t for the purpose of getting something…or removing a mountain. They’re actually so simple one would easily overlook them. After all isn’t the Holy God of Heaven and earth looking to hear something flowery or pious filled with Elizabethan English? He doesn’t have time for simplicity, right? Well, I’d like to set you free in this area of your relationship with YOUR Heavenly Father (yes, He’s your Father if Jesus has been made your Lord). Furthermore, He desires us to come to Him — anytime for any reason!

OK, are you ready for them? Are you sure you can handle the profoundness of these three simple words? They’re: I TRUST YOU. Yea, I trust you. Try it. Check your innermost being when you say them. Do you feel the calm? Do you feel the joy? Do you feel empowered? It’s OK to “feel” spiritual things…your spirit-man can “feel” spiritual things just like your physical man can feel natural things. It’s staggering, isn’t it? I got the ball rolling…I’ll let the Holy Ghost finish from here. Have a great life — trusting God!

I want to share with you an encouraging word that was given to me Sunday morning when the music team gathered to pray before the service: “We need to approach this service (day) like it was the ‘last leg’ of our breakthrough. Just a little more pressure and endurance pressing forward toward our goal.”

I realize it’s a psychological exercise that gives you extra ‘wind’ when you think all you have to do is just press a little more…after all, we all can muster a little more ‘steam’ to go forward. Regardless of the pressure, somehow we can endure just a little longer.

Scripture says that the Lord will never allow us to be tested (tempted) beyond what we are able, but will with the trial strengthen us to endure until the end, providing the way of escape (Mike Leach paraphrase of 1 Corinth. 10:13)!

Just after I spoke those words I had an image go off inside me of a runner. He was on a narrow, somewhat rocky, path going up a hillside with a bright Light at the end of his journey. The Light was his goal and he remained extremely focused on reaching that Light. As he was running, though, there were enemies alongside the path that were throwing things out in front of him.

I couldn’t see exactly what these things were, but I knew their purpose; they were meant to trip him up, even make him fall (for some were very large and some were small).

[Do you have your shouting clothes on? Pay close attention to this next portion.]

AS HE REMAINED FOCUSED ON THE PRIZE BEFORE HIM (his goal, destination) EVERY OBJECT THROWN IN HIS PATH MEANT TO DELAY, TRIP HIM UP — EVEN MAKE HIM FALL — COMPLETELY DISSOLVED EITHER BEFORE HE GOT TO IT OR RIGHT WHEN HE REACHED IT. RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT!!!!!!

Maybe you need to read that part again. You see, there is nothing the devil can mean for evil that the Lord God Almighty cannot turn around for your good!!!

If your eyes are on Jesus, and your purpose is fixed on Him — death itself — yes, I said death! — cannot even cause you to lose one beat!!

Let’s turn the tables on darkness and allow the glory of God to spread like a cancer! Overcome the evil in your life by doing good to those who the enemy has sent to trip you up!

Say these words – OUT LOUD! – “Greater is He Who is in me! I am more than a conqueror through Him! Thanks be unto God, Who always leads me in triumph! I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me and loves me and is always interceding for me! I shall not be moved! The Lord is my Light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?  He is my refuge and fortress, my God – in Him shall I trust!  Though I walk through the waters, they shall not overtake me; though I walk through the fire, I SHALL NOT BE BURNED!”

Now shout: HALLELUJAH! Give God praise for His wonderful promises to you!  Believe them! Speak them every day.  His word is alive and it shall come to pass in your life!

I want to talk about the day of visitation. I’ve looked up every reference found in the Word of God about the subject and prayed for God to reveal to me what He’s wanting to say today. The subject has been rolling around in my spirit for weeks now.

When I asked Him what the day of visitation meant, He said: “It’s the time I’ve allotted to visit My people; bringing blessing, revelation, understanding and recompense (judgment) into their lives.  I have always wanted to make a difference in My people; showing them to be favored and apart from what others around them experience in life.”

Unfortunately, in the Old Testament, each reference to their time of visitation resulted in destruction and ruin because they were always caught pursuing their fleshly lust instead of Jehovah, Who has always desired for men (mankind) to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth (covenant relationship with Him).

Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem because they did not know (recognize or acknowledge) the time of their visitation!  “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.”  (Luke 19:42).

Notice three things here: 1) they should have known the season they were in; “especially in this your day.” Paul wrote: “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  For you yourselves know…” [or, you have the witness in yourself] (1 Thess. 5:1-2a), 2) known what? “this your day, the things that make for peace” [nothing missing, nothing broken, complete and total deliverance and preservation]. That’s what Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost to bring into the lives of those around Him!, 3) because of their rejection: “now they are hidden from your eyes.”  Yes, any portion of the human race (sinner and saint alike) can have the things of God and what He wants to do in and through them “hidden from their eyes” by simply rejecting the Word of the Lord (what He shows someone personally in His Word or what they’ve heard by an anointed preacher or read by an anointed writer).

“And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they may all be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:11-12).  I realize this is directed toward unbelievers, but let me ask you: is there anything worse than an unbelieving believer?  Just because one may fall in the category of “believer” or “saint” or “saved” [which are all titles we use to describe the true church (body of Christ)], could one miss the day of visitation we’re in right now by their unbelief?

May not one of us who are hearing what the Spirit is saying be in that category! Jesus has already born the negative side of judgment for the entire human race — but we still have to believe it!; we still have to receive it! The blessings of God and all He wants to do in this hour are not going to fall on any one of us! We have to align ourselves with it and for it!  “Lord, open the eyes of our understanding that we may know the hope to which we’ve been called!”

I think back to the old western’s we used to watch, when the good guys finally got the bad guys surrounded in some old shack or something like that. There was no way out for them and they ended up surrendering, giving up their running. They had come to a place where they could no longer get away from their pursuers and they had to give up trying — they surrendered!

God is on the pursuit! He’s looking for those who will give up trying to live life apart from His help and direction. In His sovereignty He created man with a free will; meaning we have the right to choose how we live and who we live for.

Death, man’s new nature

At the fall of man the fruit of death became lodged within the spirit of man. You could say it became our default ‘life’, and everything that comes with it: sickness, pain, fighting between ourselves and every other misery we face in this life. So we’re faced with one of two choices: continue living in darkness and experiencing the result it brings or we can choose the life only God can provide.  The first is automatic (default); do nothing and you’ll be carried where it can only lead, death!

We have a choice

Choose the life that God offers and the Heavenly possibilities are endless!: Peace, joy, hope, love is just the beginning of the quality of life God has in store for those who come to Him.

First you have to surrender to Him.  The choice has to be made to come to Him.  Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).  This coming to the Father is called being born again or being made a new creature in Christ (see John 3:3-7 and 2 Corinthians 5:17).

That’s just the beginning though.  Because death is man’s default fruit there is a lot of reprogramming we must undergo to function in the Kingdom of God.  Our thinking, the way we talk, how we treat others must all be saturated with the life of God.

God’s quality of Life

The fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians Five (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) is now our new nature; the new ‘life’ within our spirit-man.

The problem is: these attributes do not automatically take over and become our standard of behavior.  They have to be put on, or worked out from within.  Paul put it this way: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you / put on the new man / present your bodies to God” (see Philippians 2:12-13, Ephesians 4:24 and Romans 12:1).

There must be a change

Again, because we have a free will to choose, God is not going to make you do this.  You have to surrender to His dealings (things in your life He’s putting His finger on to change) and give up trying to live like you’ve never met Him!

The great part about this all is He’ll give you the desire and strength (or ability) to make the changes!  But you have to come to the end of your self and give in to Him—surrender!

The time is coming when “Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” that “Jesus Christ is Lord” (see Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:11). For Jesus to be Lord He must be on the throne of your life; it takes surrendering your own ways and taking up His.

Brokenness

All mature believers have come to the place of brokenness.  The place where they no longer are on the throne of their lives, but they’ve surrendered to the dealings of God. Scripture says: “‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then your are illegitimate and not sons” (Hebrews 12:5-8).  “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (1John 3:2a).  The earlier passage came right after talking about resisting sin in our lives.  Our primary job is to be Christ-like, this will require one to surrender to God by throwing up their hands and saying: “Not my will be done, but Yours, O God!”

Let’s “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 12:1) and surrender to God!

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).

In the epistle James wrote the Holy Spirit instructs that a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways.

The days in which we live are hallmarked by instability.  If you look all around you, I’m sure you’ll agree.  It seems nobody can make up their mind, from corporate operations to personal beliefs!  The ‘winds’ of popular opinion blow and drive lives from one extreme to another.  In their wake the result of instability causes shipwreck, destroying lives. Men and women divide households by this plague and long-time businesses have folded.

Church’s dissolve because their members divide over varying doctrinal opinions.  We no longer see the ‘Black-and-White’ of scripture.  The Word of God has to line up with what’s considered to be politically correct.  We fail to understand that there’s a curse attached to the altering of God’s Word!  “Every Word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.  Do not add to His Words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6).  Two of the last four verses in the Word of God speak of the curse to expect when you add to or take from His Words (read Revelation 22:18-19)!

Who’s programming you?

Our opening scripture tells us to set our minds on things above and not on things of this earth, indicating the two arenas of influence our minds receive their programming from.

To receive the world’s instruction—do nothing but go with the flow around you!  The fruit though will be bitterness, envy, self-seeking, confusion and every evil thing.  “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).  Wow!  That’s powerful!  So, one who is envious, self-seeking and a hypocrite is confused and full of evil?  According to the Book, yes.

There is hope

We can change!  One of the greatest aspects of the gospel is God makes available to mankind His thoughts and ways of doing things, and He’s extremely successful!  He said: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways…for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God (and) we have the mind of Christ” (compilation of 1Corinthians 1:30 & 2:16).

We see the contrast here, God’s thoughts and ways vs. man’s.  You may ask, “If we have the mind of Christ, then why aren’t we thinking like God thinks?” The answer in simple, we have to renew our minds with the Word of God.  “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2a).  The word transformed comes from the same Greek word we get metamorphosis from, which means a complete change.

Christ’s followers

The intended process of Christianity is to become like Jesus.  First we’re made a new creature inside, then we change on the outside to be like Him.  This is done by renewing the mind.  That’s why Paul instructed the church at Colosse to set their minds on things above.  He knew of the pull this world-system would have on them (and us!).  To have your mind set means to place or position it in an unmovable posture; in, by and with the Word of God!   The solid Rock!    Jesus!

To have heaven’s success, you have to think like heaven!  As a man thinks, so does he become!

The desire of all nations

The prophecy of scripture declares that Jesus is the desire of all nations and that we are His body.  He’s the head and we’re the rest of His body, His feet, arms and so on.  Scripture also reveals all of creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now!  Why?  Waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, the Body of Christ in her fullness (see Romans 8:22 & 19)!  How will it be accomplished?  By the renewing of our minds to think like God thinks! Setting our minds on things above!  The unchangeable Word of God is the only source of stability available!

Jesus is coming soon!  In order to have a lifestyle that will welcome His return we’ll have to set our minds on Him, His ways and desires.  Everything else is evil!

A good question we must continually ask ourselves is: “Am I sent from God to do this work (activity)?”  Remember we talked a little about identifying with Christ and how we are an extension from Him into this world?  That’s what being an ambassador truly is—someone who’s conducting ‘business’ on behalf of another.

Let’s take a look at something interesting the Bible says about the ministry of John the Baptist: “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.”  That’s found in John 1:7.  I italicized the latter portion to emphasize his purpose.  Verse six tells us he was a man sent from God.  That was his purpose (or God’s plan for his life).

While God’s plan for our individual lives may not be as vocal or require us to separate into the wilderness apart from civilization eating locusts and honey, I do believe we all are called to bear witness of the Light that all through us may believe!  Right in the middle of Jesus’ prayer as recorded in John 17, He said: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (v. 20).  That’s you and I, as well as those who’ll believe in Him through what we bear witness of Him, whether in word or our lifestyle!

Remember what Jesus said about the one who gives someone a cup of cold water in His name (or as representing Him)?  There’s nothing insignificant any one of us could ever do in response to our Masters leading!  Responding to His promptings is bearing

witness to the Light!  Speaking an encouraging word to a wounded soul is bearing witness to the Light!  Cooking a meal for a mother with a newborn is bearing witness to the Light!

If this sounds like walking in Love—guess what?  IT IS!!  Laying down our life for the benefit of another is our highest calling!!  Then the world will know (be acquainted with and have an intimate knowledge of the fact) that God has sent Jesus into the world!!  God is still sending Jesus into the world—by sending you and me!  We are His hands, we are His feet and we are His mouth!  Our purpose?  To bear witness of the Light!