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How can a Christian go to church, feel the 'move of the Spirit,' then return to sinning as if nothing ever happened? For instance, how does an individual exit church only to curse out other drivers on the way home? Or how could someone sit in the pews looking at lewd pictures on their phone while the choir leads the congregation in worship?
Such unfortunate irony was also common in the early church. Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth that believers "have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). But a few sentences later, he said of this church, "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:1).
Clearly, not everyone has the mind of Christ. This is reserved for those who believe Jesus is the Son of God and submit to Him, acknowledging Him as their Lord and Savior. When this happens, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, whose job it is, among other things, to remind them of what Jesus taught. The Holy Spirit helps human beings by serving as a conduit between them and both God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Without the Holy Spirit's leading, the words on a Bible page lack depth, for example.
First, we must understand what it means to have the "mind of Christ." For this, consider what Jesus told the disciples in John 12:49 - For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. Also, He said in John 14:24 - Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
A person with the mind of Christ, therefore, has access to the thinking of God the Father. They gain insight into His plans and purposes. And Jesus told His disciples that they would continue to have such access through the gift of the Holy Spirit who would come after He departed the earth. That promise applies to His disciples today.
Second, to understand the term 'worldly', Paul shed some light in 1 Corinthians 3:3 - You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? Worldly practices are further outlined in Galatians 5:19-21, which mentions envy, selfish ambition, sexµal immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, factions, fits of rage, drunkenness, and orgies. And Apostle James told believers that such attitudes reveal the presence of "disorder and every evil practice" (James 3:14-16).
Sadly, many of us say we believe in Jesus but do not live in the fear of the Lord or obedience to His word. Instead, we live a worldly lifestyle that includes sinful behaviors and thought patterns. Many ignore the warning that those who practice these things "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:21).
The only way to overcome such sin is for us to allow the Holy Spirit into our lives and let Him change us. It is the Holy Spirit who will tell us what to do and what not to do. That way, we keep far away from the worldliness that seeks to keep believers from righteous and godly living.
We must pray for the gift of the Spirit of God. He is promised to all who repent and confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Having received the Holy Spirit, we must allow our desires and tastes to be transformed. He will remove the worldly attitudes and habits in us so we live according to the word of the Lord. This all happens over the course of our lifetime, and as we submit to the changes, we grow from strength to strength until the day we stand in God's presence.
Come back to fellowship at Noon EST today. We'll honor the God who made us for great exploits and pray for others that they come to know the same before covering ourselves in prayers as well.
To learn more about today's message, please read the hyperlinks above and see the posts below:
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You for Your kindness and the love that You displayed in bringing us together to honor You with our praises and petitions on behalf of others.
Lord, may our fellowship this day have given You the glory You deserve. May it be pleasing to You!
Father, as we go our separate ways, I pray that You will help us all to remember the lesson from today's message. That we should desire Your Holy Spirit and allow Him to help us live godly and not worldly lives.
Thank You for this grace. Thank You for this privilege. Help each of us this day, and lead us in the way we should go, IJMN, Amen.
God bless you all and see you on Friday by His grace!
LAST 10 MINUTES
Our sister said something in her comments on today's message that deserves a second review -
If we can all get this then we are ahead of the proverbial pack. The Holy Spirit is who we need to help us so we live godly lives instead of worldly ones.
Let us pray together -
Heavenly Father. Thank You for being concerned about all aspects of our lives. Thank You for being the God who has called us to see Him and hear Him. Thank You for sending Jesus to make things easier for us. Thank You for sending us the Holy Spirit to help us because on our own, we have no strength.
God, help us to submit to Your will, word, and Spirit, that we may be transformed for Your glory. Grace to walk by the Spirit and be led on the Path of Righteousness without straying. Grace to not live a worldly lifestyle but to be consistent in our private and public affairs so You are pleased with us. Thank You for this blessing for we know You have heard and answered us. IJN, Amen.
From JIR - Lord I pray for the lost and the soulish. I pray that You have Your way with them Lord and that they come to know You. Lord I pray that You stir and soften their hearts to hearken to Your voice and they seek You and turn to You with all of their hearts. I pray that You wrap them in Your love and they feel Your presence so strongly that they never go back to the ways of the world and they fully yield to You. IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - Lord I pray for those looking for deliverance. I pray that You guide them to a Holy Spirit led deliverance ministry that will help deliver them from any strongholds or unclean spirits in the Mighty Name of Jesus. I pray that you fill them with the Holy Spirit and once they are completely delivered they follow Your ways and don’t fall back into worldly ways. I pray You stir their hearts to fully submit to You and You draw them to You more and more each day. IJMN. Amen
Lord, we thank You for being our God and the one who created each of us for His purpose. Thank You so much for Your grace and mercy and the privilege of knowing and being known by You.
Father, today @qvc stopped by to seek prayer support for her employment situation. Firstly, Lord, we thank You for being the One who provided the opportunity for her to interview for this job. Thank You as well for getting her to the second round of the interview process. God You are great!
I pray Your child will turn her eyes and her heart to you to receive all she needs as she prepares for this next interview. May she quiet her heart and her mind to receive your guidance on what she will be asked and what she should say. May Your words flow through her lips and fill her heart. I pray she seeks, receives and displays Your Spirit of Excellence as she goes forth and that she shines with Your light. IJMN, Amen.
Good God, You are the Almighty. Nobody compares to You. Father, thank You for hearing my prayer for people that they come to a knowledge of You as You promised in Jeremiah 24:7. Thank You for giving people a desire for You. Thank You for whetting their appetites for more of You. Thank You for letting hearts clamor for You. Thank You for kindly pouring out Your Spirit on all mankind in accordance with Your word in Joel 2:28. Be glorified, Lord our Redeemer.
Now and forever more, IJMN, Amen.
Father, I thank you and I love You.
PRAYER TIME
We have poured out our offering of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.
Now having entered His gates and stepped into His presence, let's lift up prayers for other people.
The Lord help us and fill our hearts and mouths with the words needed to pray, IJN, Amen.
From JIR - “I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.””
Psalms 16:2 NIV
From QVC - I'm asking anyone who sees this message to please pray for me. I have been unemployed for a very long time and tomorrow I have round 2 interview for my dream job with the hiring manager.
Jehovah Nissi (Exodus 17:15). You are our Banner in the time of war.
Jehovah Sabaoth (1 Samuel 1:3). You are the Head of the Angel Armies and lead Your army to war for Your glory.
Jehovah Shalom (Judges 6:24). You are our Peace and our rest round about when the battles have been won.
Jehovah Rapha (Exodus 15:26). You are the healing our body, mind and soul needs and receives for free.
Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22:14). You are our Provider, supplying all we need.
Jehovah Shammah (Ezekiel 48:35). You are there. The I am that I Am, everywhere at every point in time. Where can we hide from Your presence?
Jehovah Mekadesh (Leviticus 20:7-8). You are He who sanctifies us and makes us holy!
Philippians 3:1a - My beloved ones, don't ever limit your joy or fail to rejoice in the wonderful experience of knowing our Lord Jesus!
Thank You God for calling us unto Yourself. Thank You Jesus for loving us enough to die on the cross in our place.
Thank You for knowing us. Knowing even the very hairs on our heads. Who are we that the Lord of the Universe would be mindful of us.
Thank You!
From JIR - Thank You Lord for reassuring me that You will never leave me or forsake me. Trusting and depending on You completely, is something I am still striving towards, but I thank You for Your patience with me and guiding me every step of the way. I yearn to get to know You personally more and more each day. Thank You for Your humility and giving me the privilege of getting to know You. You are amazing! IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - Thank You Lord for being my ever present help. I am grateful and honored that You are my God. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You for how kind and loving You are. Getting through life is impossible without You. I thank You for being with me every step of the way. IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - Thank You Lord for waking us all up this morning. Thank You for blessing us with another day to get closer to You. Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning. Thank You for today’s message and guiding us in here to receive it. Thank You Lord. IJMN. Amen.
Thanks for today’s message sis @FFJ. This is so good. Today’s message is similar to the sermon I heard last Sunday. The minister compared the fruit of the Spirit with the fruits of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-24. We must always examine ourselves to see if we are living by the fruits of the flesh (i.e. worldly - the kingdom of satan) or by the fruit of the Spirit (i.e. godly - the kingdom of God). If we are living by the flesh we will perish. We can’t be lukewarm; there is no in between. We have to make a decision on what fruit we decide to live by and I pray everyone chooses the fruit of the Spirit.
Thank you sis for also adding to that sermon that I watched last Sunday and reminding me how the Holy Spirit is there to help us when we stray. The Holy Spirit convicts us if we are living by the fruits of the flesh and leads us back to the fruit of the Spirit, which I can attest to. It is so important that we are sensitive to His guidance by not ignoring His conviction or else the outcome can be detrimental to our lives. It is so important that we hearken to His guidance. Our souls are on the line and the enemy has not come to play. I thank God for His mercy and grace. He deposited His Spirit into us to guide us which is far greater than anything or anyone in this world. I pray we take heed and don’t take the Holy Spirit for granted. IJMN. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Glory be to God!!
PRAISE TIME
God, we are here to thank You and to praise You. May our worship rise as a sweet-smelling incense.
Okay, folks, it is time to give God the glory.
Let's raise a praise!
I don't know how You're gonna do it
But one thing I know is
Whenever You come through
It is like a movie scene
I don't know how You're gonna do it
But one thing I know is
I gotta be ready
Just when I thought I had seen it all
You come with another one
Leave me amazed every single time You show up
And I thought I had seen it all
You come with another one
Leave me amazed every single time You show up
From EC - Amen and good morning ladies!
From M22 - Happy Fellowship Day Fam!! I thank God for bringing us here again today to fellowship, pray and intercede in his presence. I pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy spirit over this wonderful community of Christ. I pray we will continue to abide under the shadow of the Almighty! IJMN Amen.
Thank you so much for today's word sis @FFJ , May our Father in Heaven continue to replenish you spiritually as you pour into us. This is something I still struggle with and I get overwhelmed trying to be perfect but what I am learning as I walk with God everyday it is that only the Holy Spirit can perfect my walk with him. So I am learning that when I fall short, I should genuinely repent and ask for strength not to make that sin a pattern in my life moving forward. May God grant us the strength to overcome the stronghold of sin plaguing this world IJMN Amen
ALTAR CALL
Christ died on the cross for all of humanity and you have the right to be free of everything that wants you bound. I was raised a Christian my whole life, and didn't know this. Sure, I heard stories that seemed fantastical, but once I met Jesus I realized there was so much more to learn.
For instance, I previously had no clue that simply being a Christian wasn't enough to make it to heaven. I didn't know that I needed the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit of God who rested on King David. The same One who came down as a dove and rested on Jesus enabling Him to do God's work on earth.
That same Holy Spirit is still valuable today and through Him, I'm coming to know Jesus and God better. The video below explains this and how to submit to Jesus so you receive God's Spirit.
If you watched the video to the end and say that prayer, then welcome to being a child of God! I pray you receive the Holy Spirit and are led in the ways of the Lord. Be sure to let me know you said the prayer and I'll send you more materials so you can grow as a new creature! Congrats and God bless you!