There are many subjects to choose from when we study the Word of God. But lately ROL is receiving a lot about the Spirit, about who we are in the spirit, about what we have in the spirit. My last two preaching’s were all about the Spirit. Even the anniversary theme is Spirit, Soul and Body! So the question pops up: Do the people get tired of it? And the teachers, do they get tired of it?
The answer of course is NO, we should not get tired of it. In fact, it is the most important thing that we should understand. The primary reason for that is… God is spirit. And a secondary reason is that we too are spirit beings encased in a physical body. And more importantly, the Word of God is spirit and they are life.
I believe that the renewing of the mind that the Bible talks about is just simply shifting our focus from the physical to the spiritual. In the beginning man was conscious about God. Adam was conscious about God. Adam knew it when God was in the garden. But the more that man became engrossed with his business with the physical world, the more that he became less conscious about God. And sin actually is committed because people are not conscious about God. But a more destructive sin is the one committed willfully despite our knowledge of God and that because we just want to get what we want.
And so we need to renew our mind. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. How do we do that? The Bible instructs us, the one who is after the flesh minds the things of the flesh but the one who is after the spirit minds the things of the spirit. The Word of God is simply telling us that in order to have life, we should be mindful of spiritual things. But if we are mindful of carnal things, meaning those things that pertain to our physical body, those things that the body need for well being, for beauty, for luxury, if we are mindful of them, they will lead to death. Interestingly, if we have the Spirit, that same Spirit that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, if that Spirit dwell in us, Scripture says, He will give life to our mortal bodies. If we are mindful about the things of the Spirit, and really plant them in the inside of us, not only will He give us life in the spirit but also life to our physical bodies.
Bottom line is, the things that we normally do, working, playing, watching movies, fellowship, picnic, parties, concerts, and getting married... they are really what God wants us to enjoy! But problem arises when we lose sight of God. Failing to consider Him especially during life changing moments.
But glory to God because here is now the revival movement! Putting God back to everything that we do. When we do concerts, Jesus is at the heart of it. When we come to fellowship, Jesus is at the heart of it. When we watch movies, play games, or go swimming, we take God with us. We keep Him in our hearts. We remember Him. We talk about Him and testify of His goodness! He is just at the center of everything that we do. In that way life is easy. No complications. We avoid doing stupid things, when God is in our hearts and at the center of it.
And so let us always be mindful of God. Let us remember the things that pertain to Him; righteousness and holiness and life everlasting! When you get to an obstacle, life doesn't stop there. You can go around it. That's probably not really the way that God wants you to lead. And so get some discipline, lest the Apostle come and say, “What do you prefer? That I come to you with a rod, or that I come to you in love and in the spirit of meekness?”
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