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Setting Our Minds
On Christ in This Day and Age
By Kato
Mivule
June 4,
2005
As we
walk through this day and age, a constant reminder to all who
truly love Jesus Christ is to set our minds not on earthly
things but on Christ Jesus. The demands we face daily through
out the week are enormous and take toil on us…it is a spiritual
battle. There seems to be no resting place for our souls in the
endeavors of this world. However, God’s word is a remedy, our
fellowship with Jesus Christ and dependency on Him will always
refresh our souls that are constantly beaten by earthly and
spiritual matters.
It is a
spiritual warfare that is constantly going on and will intensify
in the days ahead. There is not going to be a day of ceasefire
for we are Soldiers of The Cross of Jesus Christ and don’t
surrender other than to Jesus Christ Himself...we are victorious
in Him. Satan’s goal is that we get caught up with fading
glamour of this world and the persuasiveness of the material –
the silver and gold. However, we all know that this world and
all that is in it will perish and that friendship with the world
is enmity with God.
This is a
time to separate our selves from all that which contaminates,
all that which is sinful and hated in the sight of God. This is
a time and season to lay our goals and plans and visions before
the all mighty. It is time to seek His will for our personal
lives and find out what He desires us to do in these last days.
This is not a time making plans for our Children, planning on
buying new homes, cars, exclusive vacations, and getting higher
paying jobs and positions…the peoples of the world to seek such
and their endeavors will come to nothing…it is building on quick
sinking sand…their ground is not solid. For the plans of man
will come to nothing but the Counsel of The Lord stands
forever.
As Paul
admonishes us in this piece of scripture below…let us set our
minds on Christ Jesus. Now, this is not a call for ignoring
situations around us but we look at the circumstance via God’s
view…through the light of God’s word…that is how we fight our
spiritual battles and win… Competing with your neighbor to buy a
new car every year is foolish and very carnal. The world seeks
such, we as Christians are called to seek His Face…in this last
days our spiritual ears and eyes should be focused on Jesus
Christ and look to the world through Jesus Christ’s eyes…
We should
never allow the material to posses our hearts. Satan’s greatest
tricks in these last days is to make Christians focus on riches
and building kingdoms on earth…sadly many have bowed down to the
lies of Satan to so they can attain the kingdoms of this world.
Many Christians have sold their souls to Satan for money, job
promotions, status, fame, and all the fading glories Satan
offers and that were triumphantly rejected by Jesus Christ in
the wilderness. This is a prophetic warning to all…the
temptations are many that Satan is sending towards all who love
God, temptations to relinquish our unpolluted love for Christ
Jesus in return for the unreal fading glories from Hell.
Lets take
a look at what the Apostle Paul has to say in this piece of
Scripture…
Colossians 3: 1-4
1
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Certainly the
scripture above is very prophetic. We are to set our minds not
on the things of this world but on things above. Our affections
are not on the silver and gold that the world offers but on the
love of Jesus Christ, His Will for our lives, His Purpose and
Love. Our hearts long for the heart beat of Christ. We seek to
please Him daily. We are dead to the glories, accolades and
material gains of this world. We are dead to the silver and gold
that the world has to offer.
It makes no
point to us to compete with our next door neighbor and try to
buy a new car every year just like they do or try to manipulate
our way up the corporate ladder for a higher pay raise…we are
dead to such works and our lives are hide in Christ Jesus. We
seek daily those things that please Him…we seek to love him and
know His heart.
The Prophetic
verse here is that when Christ appears we also shall appear with
Him in glory. Many will not appear with Him in glory, for the
world and things of this world have taken their hearts. As I
point out Many Christians don’t like Prophesy and Christ’s
second coming because they love to see their kid go to college
other than what God wants them to do, they love the comfortable
life of America and dislike Christ’s return…this should not be
so, our hearts ought to beat with joy when we hear the sounds
and voices about His Return. The context is about appearing with
Christ in Glory.
Colossians
1:5-9
5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children
of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some
time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put
off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to
another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Since our
hearts are motivated to please Christ Jesus, then we are obliged
to live a life worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus…a life of
holiness and righteousness. We are motivated because we desire
that when Christ Jesus appears, we may appear with Him in
Glory…this rejuvenates us to keep our garments clean and pure,
free from the uncleanness and lusts of this world. Our
satisfaction comes from Jesus Christ alone and where He is
seated in the heavenly places. Our desires are fulfilled in Him
alone. It is Christ alone that quenches the thirst of our souls.
So the
world and its riches are useless and mere rubbish before us.
What we have is Holy, Pure, and Righteous, Above and Beyond
Measure; Perfect in Beauty, and Glorious that no riches of this
world can compare…that is Jesus Christ our Love and our Savior.
We lay down our very lives just to be with Him. Therefore we
detest sin and since we know that His word is True, we reject
the life that this sinful world offers, for the wrath of God
comes on the children of disobedience, the children who enjoy to
sin, who enjoy the pleasures of this world, and all who Hate
Holiness and Hate God.
Therefore
we long to be perfected in the character of Jesus Christ and
daily we put to death anger, malice, wrath, filthy
communication, we lie not to one another and put to death
fornication and all kinds of immorality. We choose a Life of
Holiness.
Colossians 1:10-
10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is
neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,
Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in
all.
Since our
desire is to set our minds on the things above where Christ
Jesus is seated, we are encouraged to put on the new man,
renewed in the knowledge after the image of Christ Jesus. The
Word of God sure does renew our minds after Christ’s image. Our
minds when renewed by Christ’s word transcend racial lines, not
threatened by opposite genders, and those who do things slightly
from us, but seek to love Christ Jesus with all who truly Love
and worship Christ in Spirit and in Truth. We are not threatened
by other peoples’ giftings but rejoice with them because Christ
is all in all…and all is for His Glory…
Colossians 1:
12
12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And
above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful. 16 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. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God and the Father by him.
So as we
walk daily in these last days, our focus is to please Christ
Jesus, to know His heart, to know His will and then look to the
world with the sight that Jesus Christ gives…with His
perspective…our hearts are filled with His love therefore we
demonstrate His love for one another… Christ Hates sin, we
therefore don’t give the devil a chance by playing with
sin…holiness is our desire. Christ’s word we let to dwell in us
richly and all we do we do for His glory giving thanks to Him
So as we
walk through this week, our focus is on Christ Jesus, we don’t
ignore the battle or what is going on around us but look at
things through Christ’s perspective. What Christ calls good we
call good and what Christ calls evil we call evil and detest. We
refuse to compromise…not even an inch…we refuse to bow…men will
never get our praise…we are here to please Christ Jesus alone.
These are the days so long spoken about by the prophets…Christ
Jesus will soon appear and we desire to appear with Him in
Glory…with that in mind we lay down our lives to know Him and
love Him and be like Him. Let our prayer be that we may please
Him and Set our Eyes on Him and See things though His
Perspective…Amen!
Your
Brother in Christ Jesus
Kato
Mivule
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