God considers the people He calls to be vessels. What type of vessels we are, depends on the effort and the care which we take to remain in close contact with God. How do we view ourselves in light of the times we are living in and the jobs which God has given us?
Kalon Mitchell
Are We Seeking a Relationship with God?
As most of the world sits locked down in their homes and scared, how are we doing as Christians? Are we succumbing to the daily terror in the news? Are we becoming discouraged and disheartened about what is happening? What is our mental attitude and state of mind at this time?
We are rapidly approaching the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I remember thinking a month ago that I needed to really start digging in and examining myself, and I am surprised by how quickly that time has passed.
The god of this world, Satan, is causing massive panic (toilet paper shortages, as one small example) and great distress on ALL people right now. Most everyone I have talked within the Church is facing trials and troubles in unprecedented waves. It also appears to me that our trials are coming with such frequency that it can be hard to properly focus and take the time to examine ourselves correctly for the Passover.
While trials are not new to us, maybe the intensity with which they are coming is new.
I want to encourage each of us to MAKE the time to seek God, to examine ourselves and to work on the growth of our relationship with God. It takes effort and it takes time. I was listening to an old sermon by Mr. Edwin Pope (the late Senior Pastor of our Church), and he was reiterating how important our relationship with God actually is. The first few chapters of the Bible are replete with individuals who shaped the world by their relationship with God. We have to realize that we too have this same weight on our shoulders. I would suppose that this is not something that we venture to think about a lot. But our relationship with God, and our obedience, is in direct relation to helping to shape the outcomes in this world. Please note Matthew 6:33; 2 Peter 3:12; Matthew 24:22; and Matthew 24:14.
These Scriptures plainly tell us that we each have a direct responsibility in helping to accomplish these things. It is easy to not realize the impact and the magnitude of our calling. Satan wants to destroy each of us because of the impact we can have. James 4:8 tells us: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Now is the time to really be drawing close to God, especially as the Passover draws near. If we have not been zealous in this regard, it is time to rectify this (Matthew 22:37; Romans 12:11; Hebrews 10:19-22, 4:6, 11; 7:25; 11:6 ). Drawing near to God is not a physical act, though it can include that. It is directing our heart, our mind and our attention to God, to His laws and commands, and being willing to look into our hearts and recognize where we have sin and then root it out. As Mr. Norbert Link has asked all of us to do, we should set aside a personal day of fasting and prayer prior to the Passover, if we have not already done so.
The Apostle Paul had to rebuke the Corinthian church, but he was pleased with the results. 2 Corinthians 7:5-12 states: “For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.”
We need to continue looking at ourselves, examining ourselves and making sure that we will be taking the Passover in a right and worthy manner. We need to make sure that we are drawing close to God, so that our examination is not just causing worldly sorrow, but rather godly sorrow that produces change in us. Are we changing? Are we allowing God’s Spirit to help us to change? If we are attempting to get rid of sin on our own, we will fail (2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10-11).
While we begin to see the prophesied downfall of the modern House of Israel, it should cause us to wake up and to become more diligent in seeking and maintaining a right relationship with our great God. We need to do this so that we can stay mentally strong and sound in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Peter 5:1-10; Ephesians 6:18).
When we are properly seeking God, we will be having different desires than this world has. We will want to seek God. We will want to change. We will have hope (Romans 15:13). We will have desire for the Kingdom of God, and our entrance into it. Philippians 2:13 tells us that if we are on the proper wavelength and have the right mindset, then God can and will work through us. This should be what we are desiring and striving towards.
It is amazing how the Word of God is also needed, as we seek to draw closer to God. When we properly spend time in studying the Word of God, we start to become convicted of what we read, and we can really begin to make the changes in our lives that must be made to draw close to God.
Chaos and Order
Chaos is all around us. As the times get darker and we are getting closer to Christ’s return, the amount of chaos in our lives and in the world is increasing. How can we remain calm and centered and make order from the chaos? God commands us to create order, but how do we accomplish that?
What Do You Love?
All of us have things we love in this life. But what is it that we truly love? The Bible tells us that we are to have a love for the Truth. This Truth includes being mindful and careful of the choices we make. Peace will reside when we make the appropriate choices to truly love God in all of our ways.
What Will Be Your Legacy?
When people die, depending on what they have accomplished in this life, they leave behind a legacy. Some people achieve much in their short time here on this earth but others not as much. It really depends on the effort, the vision they keep in mind, and the amount of zeal used to go after what they set their eyes on. Some people seem to inspire more and have a greater effect on others. And it seems that they are those who know what they want and go for it, while they are ignoring everything else, which might detract them, in pursuit of greatness.
It is inspiring to see people live their lives to the fullest. They seem to exude courage and strength. They also invest much work into what they are trying to achieve. They are relentless in what they want to accomplish. Setbacks happen to them, but they power through and keep pushing forward. History is littered with these types of people, and they are often studied and talked about as those whom everyone can aspire to be like.
For the most part, true Christians are not among the rich and famous. They are not the elite of the world. They are usually not those who have several huge houses, tons of money and are well-known around the world. In fact, many times just the opposite seems to be true.
In 1 Corinthians 1:20-30, Paul rightly identifies members as those who do not belong to the great of this world. And the reason is that we have to learn how to glorify God; how to lean on Him for godly greatness and wisdom. Yes, with God’s help, we can and must become truly wise in His eyes in whatever we choose to pursue, knowing that in the end, this worldly wisdom is passing away (Philippians 3:8-10). It is hard at times to look at this world and see all the amazing or interesting things that people are doing or accomplishing. But it warrants the realization that a lot of times we get to see the “best” that people put forward. We don’t get to see the suffering and pain that they may go through. We need to realize that we must look at everything in context.
When we look at this world and solely focus on it, we lose focus on the Bible and its wisdom. It is so easy to get caught up and feel miserable because we are “missing out” or don’t have what others seem to have. But what we choose to build at this time is up to us (Matthew 7:24-27). God lets us choose how much we want to seek Him and how much we want to change. When we choose properly, circumstances start to change for us. When we start to leave behind our foolish desires and search after God with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13), then God can change our hearts (Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26; Hebrews 8:10). He can start to give us good things, maybe even some of the things we may not necessarily need, but we would like to have (Psalm 37:1-40).
We ought to realize that this present evil world is not going to be here for much longer. Our time grows shorter (Romans 13:11). So what do we choose? How do we become wise? James 3:13-18 warns us to be aware and constantly on guard against the wisdom of this world and the pulls of our own flesh. It is not so uncommon as we might like to think. We each have been guilty of behaving like this at times.
Our legacy as Christians is to remain on the path and finish the work assigned to each of us. It has to do with our mindset. Our legacy is about being faithful till the end—being faithful with what we have been given.
There is nothing in this life that is worth anything unless it has been given to us by God (John 14:27; Matthew 11:28-30; Jeremiah 42:12; James 1:1-27). We should take the time to read Scriptures like the ones mentioned herein; meditate on them; pray about them; and make every effort so that our entrance into the Kingdom of God will be supplied. Peter’s words in 2 Peter 1:3-11 are important in this context, because possessing godly qualities in increasing measure is the key. With God’s help, all of us are capable of this.
As we know, it is a matter of overcoming our own selves with our doubts, weaknesses and insecurities, as well as Satan and this evil world, while laying hold of what God’s Word says. When we do this properly, we WILL see progress. We will understand more and more as to what is right. We ought to try it out. James 2:24 and Philippians 2:12 warn us that we have to be working DAILY on our character. We have to be those who are laying it all on the line each day. When we do this, it doesn’t matter if we live or die, because we know that we are in God’s hands (Romans 14:8). And then we will die with the understanding that we will have left behind our true legacy (Revelation 2:26; 3:21; 20:4,6; Daniel 7:18, 22, 27).
Going Blind
Becoming blind is a physical problem. But when we become blind Spiritually we run into even bigger problems. How can we either fix our blindness or avoid it altogether?
Hope in the Kingdom of God
In what do we hope for? When we don’t have hope we can lose direction and desire to continue on our path. What happens when we don’t have hope in the Kingdom of God? What happens if we don’t continually keep our focus on this hope? We need to continue to keep focused so we stay motivated especially as the days are getting closer to the return of Christ.
Why are we told to pray for others?
We find many Scriptures in the Bible encouraging us to pray for others. But why? Why should a Christian spend time in praying for others, especially for those in the faith? Is there a benefit for doing this? What is God’s purpose in having us pray for each other?
One of the trademarks of a Christian is an attitude of outgoing concern for others. Putting others ahead of one’s self shows absolute love and kindness which is a key trait of one who calls him- or herself a Christian. Please note 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Romans 12:10; Mark 12:31 and 1 Peter 3:8. All these Scriptures point out the fact that true love does not only think about oneself, but also about others. It is ALWAYS looking out for the betterment of others and their situations. Philippians 2:3-4 iterates: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
When we start taking on this approach, we quickly see that one of the major ways to do this is through praying for others. Maybe they include prayers for strength, or wisdom, or for help in health-related matters. We all have the opportunities to pray these types of prayers for others. This is entirely backed up by God’s Holy Scriptures.
Paul’s entire outlook throughout his ministry was to constantly be praying for those whom he shepherded. He took great care of the people that God entrusted to him. But in turn, he entrusted their well-being and their continuance in the faith to God through prayer.
We can notice this in the next few quoted Scriptures.
- Ephesians 6:18-20 in the New International Version: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
- Romans 10:1: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”
- Colossians 1:9: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…”
- 1 Timothy 2:1-7: “Therefore I exhort (encourage) first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority (a prominent place), that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
Paul was concerned that we all pray for each other with prayers full of outgoing concern and love in each situation that we all find ourselves in throughout our lives. And he exemplified this. But notice, this is not just where we are to leave off in our prayers. We can pray and should pray for outcomes in government—not for this world as this world is Satan’s world, nor for the kingdoms and nations that rule–but rather we are to pray that we can have peace and safety and that we find favor in the eyes of people who rule this world, as well as praying for the unhindered fulfillment of the Work which God has commissioned us to do. Also realizing though that our allegiance is to God, first and foremost, and that we cannot go against His Will, even if people who rule in this world command us to do otherwise. Rather, we need to stand up for what is right and be proper ambassadors as Paul rightly showed himself to be.
Continuing on in reading what Paul wrote in his letters to many churches as to how he kept them in his prayers. We read how explicit he was in telling them what it was that he was praying about for them. In Philippians 1:3-10 we read: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
What would have been the effect if Paul had not prayed for the churches in this way? His prayers had to have had effect. Both from the standpoint of God listening and helping, but also from the standpoint of the people to whom the letters were written and hearing those words and knowing that he was praying for them.
In James 5:16 we read: “Confess your trespasses (your personal sins which you have committed towards other members) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent (supplication) prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Our prayers can be effective, both for ourselves and for others, if we are righteous. If we are NOT righteous in our approach, then God will not hear. In chapter 1 of James, we see many admonitions in this regard. There is no end to how we can and should live righteously. If we find it hard to think in this way, then we are not focused enough on God, and not studying enough. God is curious to see what we will do. He is anxious to see our character growth. But this only comes through intensive moments of opportunity for growth. This comes through having convictions (especially biblically based ones and sticking to those).
Continuing in verses 16-17 of James 5: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”
Do we consider our prayers to be THAT powerful? If not, WHY not? When we pray, we should be expecting the things we pray about to be done. John 14:13-14 shows Christ’s words for us today: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
We need to realize that our prayers hold serious weight with God. We have to believe this. And we need to learn to pray in all situations.
Matthew 5:44 tells us: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
This does not mean, of course, that we should pray for the welfare of our enemies who curse, hate, spitefully use and persecute us and, more importantly, God. Rather, our prayers to God should contain a plea that they would understand and repent of the wickedness of their ways, so that they can be freed from being Satan’s captives. This might even include a plea to God for His powerful and dramatic intervention in their lives to wake them up or to prevent them from causing further harm to others. Sometimes, God even tells us to cease praying for His enemies—especially for those who once knew the Truth and fell away, as God would not hear our prayers. And in general, we read that even Christ did not pray for the people of this world, while He did and does pray for those whom He called out of this world.
In John 17:8-9, we read: “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.”
Christ’s prayer to the Father in John 17, verses 6-26, was dedicated to the men and women who were alive at that time and for ALL who would be called to become true Christians. His care and concern was for His people whom God has chosen and would choose through the centuries. His desire was for us to become one as He and the Father are one. This is not easily accomplished. It takes much focus on God’s Word, prayer and the action.
Paul asks us in the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians to stir up spiritual gifts for the sake of unity. Each member is to be used by God in the capacity that is granted to them. In verse 25, Paul talks about each member having the “same care for one another.”
When we focus our attention on others and shift from being self-centered to caring for others in whatever capacity that may be, we begin to experience a change of our mindset. Let us notice the growth of the early Church because of what God was accomplishing, while He was specifically looking at their attitude. In Acts 2:40-47, it says that the new church members continued “steadfastly” in prayers. They were not only praying for their own lives and God’s help for problems they were encountering, but they were also praying for each other. They were praying for the Work. They were praying for those who were leading them. And God was pleased with this attitude and this approach.
Those who do NOT pray for the welfare and benefit of other Church members exhibit attitudes of selfishness. While not caring for others, they may rather talk about them in negative ways, gossip and slander them and show a general disregard for them. This would also apply to people in the world who are maligned and talked about incorrectly. God tells us to stay away from these kinds of people who slander and gossip. If we were to find that we had this type of attitude, it would be time to repent and to draw close to God. Paul’s warning for us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (Amplified Bible) is as follows: “But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.” This is NOT the type of people that we want to be a part of in any way, nor do we want to be these types of people ourselves.
When we pray, we should always know how powerful our prayers for each other can be, and how much we should be coming before God with all sincerity and belief that He is there waiting. We are aware of the state of the world, and we should understand that our prayers for the Work and those who perform the Work are important as well. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 says: “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you.”
Righteous and appropriate prayers for others are extremely important, and they should be a daily part of our prayer life.
Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell
What Should Be the Mindset of Kings and Priests?
In Revelation 5:10, we are told something fundamental as to who we are as Christians: “And [Christ] have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” We are told the same in Revelation 1:6. We are here now as physical people—flesh and blood human beings. But our potential before us is to become spiritual kings and priests in the Kingdom of God. The thought that occurred to me is that in order for this to happen, we have to think like kings and priests NOW.
We should constantly take note of Christ’s perfect example. He was and is our King and our High Priest. The Bible says we are to become like Him. Philippians 2:5-9 tells us: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.”
Before Christ became a human being, He was a divine part of the God Family. But He laid His divinity aside to become an obedient servant, willing to serve. If we wish to become kings and priests, then we too need to take on Christ’s mindset of being a servant.
So what does it take to have this mindset? We find our answers in the Holy Scriptures.
God commanded the kings of Israel to write out the Law of God that the priests kept, and they were to constantly read it so that they would be mindful of how they should be ruling as servants of the Most High.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 states: “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”
The king’s mind was to be on God and His laws. If we are unwilling to read from the Word of God, then we will NOT be led by God. It is plain and simple. If we do NOT believe what we read, then we will NOT be led by God. Action and faith go hand in hand here. We cannot have one without the other. Some may say the Bible is good and all, but I am just too tired, or I don’t read well, etc. There will always be a million excuses as to why we cannot do something which we should.
We have to have the mindset of being kings and priests. Our mindset is everything. We alone are in charge of our mindset. God has allowed us to choose. The question then is, what will we allow our mindset to be focused on?
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, Paul reminds us of how we should be thinking: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Strongholds are mental blocks; things that we hold in our minds and against which we must fight. These strongholds can be anything. A stronghold can be a wrong personal attitude or self-righteousness. Worry can be a stronghold. Seeking the approval of other people can be a stronghold. Anything that we make into an idol in our lives can be a stronghold, including, but not limited to, fear, guilt, resentment, insecurities and self-pity. All of these things can be strongholds in our minds. Notice, it says that we must bring EVERY thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and that we must be ready to punish ALL disobedience.
We ALL have either faced these challenges or are facing them now. The ONLY way to overcome them is to come to God and change our mindset. We have to think as God wants us to think, learning how to bring our thoughts into focus and alignment with God’s teaching. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:13: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Luke 12:35 states that we must “…let our waist be girded and our lamps burning.” This means, we must be ready for action. We must be ready in our minds at all times in being a Christian and having a Christian attitude and mindset. Christ warned in Mark 7:14-23 that everything evil comes from within us. And when evil is in our minds, then we must continually fight it.
The right and perfect mindset is one that is set on God. One that is humble, teachable, loving and merciful. One that listens to those who are in authority and gives reverence. Paul once again speaks to each of us in Philippians 2:12-17: “ Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.”
When we have the mindset of being kings and priests, we will do everything in our power to continue in this way because we realize what our potential is and how soon that potential is coming to reality.
What Do You Expect As a Christian?
As Christians living at this time and age, what is it that we expect? How do we view the things that are happening to us? How do we respond to the constant trials and tests that we are facing? What can we expect from God in regard to our calling and His promises? We need to have clear understanding in these matters and make sure that we are not just hearers but also implementers so that we are not caught off guard.
