The Mind of Christ!

Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God...( 2 Co 2:12)
For who has know the mind of the Lord that he might instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. 
(2 Co 2:16)

Our prayers, God's answers

He asked for strength that he might achieve;
he was made weak that he might obey.


He asked for health that he might do greater things;
he was given  infirmity that he might do better things.


He asked for riches that he might be happy;
he was given poverty that he might be wise.


He asked for power that he might have the praise of men;
he was given weakness that he might feel the need of God.


He asked for all things that he might enjoy life;
he was given life that he might enjoy all things.


He has received nothing that he asked for, all he hoped for;
his prayer is answered.

Seek ye first...

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Priorities

Let us use worldly things as wise pilgrims do their staves and other necessaries convenient for their journey. So long as they help us forward in our way, let us make use of them, and accordingly esteem them. But if they become troublesome hindrances and cumbersome burdens, let us leave them behind us, or cast them away.

George Downame

Grace alone

"I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, 'You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.' My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will."
--Charles Spurgeon

Hymn of the week

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

.................................................................

This is my story...This is my song!!!

Isn't that amazing how those inspired hymns express the believer's stories, feelings, thoughts, and somehow are able to encourage us in our daily walk with the Lord?

Growing up I would listen and sing the hymns at the church service and in many occasions find it hard to understand those righteous, high- minded, pure and yet so accurate words singing sound gospel teachings concerning salvation, God's grace, assurance...Blessed be the Lord for those enriching hymns that have though me to expect the highest standard when things concerned are God's.

Christian Living

And do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
I was reading/listening today about the consequences of being filled with the Spirit as opposite of being "drunk with wine".
It is rather interesting that sometimes we tend to have a very shallow understanding of some verses in the Bible. At times we tend very literal, in other circumstances we  look at Scriptures and think it does not apply to our "modern way of living" and even worse sometimes reject some verses simply because our sinful nature has difficult accepting God's unchangeable standards.
Well that's not quite the point of this post but anyway, we will get there...

Being drunk expresses a lack of self- control, it shows that you are not in charge of your thinking, you don't have power over your faculties.
The application of this passage is much vaster than we actually think about.
How often we are so filled with Tv news but not filled with the understanding of the gospel?
How often we are so filled with our worldly thinking or worries that we forget to seek the Lord in prayer?
How often we are so excited about a new movie coming up, or one that we just watched but can't really remember what was the passage we read in our devotional time?

I know that at times our hearts are so hardened that we barely see the implications of those things in our lives, but in general I think most of time we don't even realise how much we've being drinking of this world's thinking, standards and way of living...we get that kinda messed up understanding caused by our minds has been immersed into too much "wine".
The word of God calls us rather to " be filled with the Spirit" which implies seeking God through His word,  learning His will and praying. This passage also tells us what are the immediate consequences of being filled with the Spirit.

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of  our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.


As a first consequence we have fellowship with one another. We share what we have learned, we make mention of what the Lord has done in our lives, we encourage and build up one another. We simply talk of what is the most important thing in our lives which is to please Him that has shown so much love toward us.
The second consequence of being filled with the Spirit is sing and praise God , having a heart full of adoration and praise towards the One that not only saved us but also adopted us as dear children (Ephesians 5:1).
All Spiritual coldness is a direct consequence of not being filled with the Spirit.
The next consequence is "giving thanks".We can safely assume that a discontent, ungrateful heart is caused by not been filled with the Spirit.
At last the fourth consequence is to submit to one another in the fear of God, considering others better than ourselves. It is to seek for ways to serve the brethren and bless their lives. An obvious consequence of not being filled with the Spirit is looking on other fellow Christians with contempt, and not considering them superior to ourselves.

If we really want to know how to live the Christian life it can be summarised in a sentence:

"Be filled with the Spirit".

Anyone thirsty??

Ps: you can listen to these sermons on Christian Living here and here.

In Christ

J Roque