The Bishop’s Mind: Christian Wisdom, Daily Devotionals & Empowering Messages for Kingdom Living

No More Patch Work! The Kingdom Key of Old & New R EAD | Matthew 5:14-17 “...I will give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; and they will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and God will be glorified (Isaiah 61:3).”  Seamstresses make a lot of money repairing old clothes: letting them out here and taking them in there. They add patches to holes in the elbows of sweaters or the knees of pants. They stitch up tears and replace old buttons. In Jesus’ parable, God is not c alling us to patch up our old garments. God desires to give us new garments. We are so used to recycling plastic, repairing cars, reupholstering furniture, renewing contracts, and reviving plants that it is often challenging for us to embrace the idea of something new. Even though it may be a better use of our resources to buy something new, our attachment to the old causes us to ...

New is not Improved! The Kingdom Key of Old & New R EAD | Matthew 5:14-17 “It shall come to pass that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord...(Joel 3:18).”  One of the major processes of biblical times was making wine. First, the grapes were crushed in the winepress to produce grape juice. Secondly, the grape juice was mixed with a yeast-like substance for fermenting. Thirdly, the mixture was placed into an animal skin bottle which had already been through its own process of tanning, curing, and sewing. Finally, as the grape juice transformed into wine, the animal wine skin expanded to full capacity indicating that fermentation was complete. Putting a new batch of the grape juice yeast mixture into an old wineskin that had already been used for fermenting was...

The Lost Elder Brother The Kingdom Key of Lost & Found R EAD | Luke 15:25-32 The older son never leaves the house or does any overt behavior to waste his inheritance. However, he is jealous when his younger brother is restored and is given a party. He is so disconnected from the events that are going on in the house, that he must ask a servant what is taking place. The father reminds the older son of his birthright and entitlement to everything that he had. He had permission to throw his own party. He did not have to wait for an event to access his inheritance. The elder brother had consistent access but was so busy working in the field that he did not do the practices to experience the relationship with his father that he desired. God does not desire that we just do the work of ministry. God desires an intimate relationship with us that is based on our Kingdom perfection, principles, practices and promises. Through the Parab...

The Lost Younger Son The Kingdom Key of Lost & Found R EAD | Luke 15:11-24 In the Parable of the Lost Son, a man has two sons, and he divides his inheritance among them. The younger son takes his inheritance and wastes it in wild living. Later, in a pig pen he comes to himself and decides to go back to his father’s house as a se rvant. One of the key points of this parable is that the father never changes his mind abou t his son. The father’s love is consistent and unconditional. Whether the son is in the house, at the parties, in the pig pen, or the road back home, the father always calls him his son. Even when the son wants to reduce himself to a servant, the father recognizes him as his son. Whether he is a lost son or a found son, he is still a son. Whether he is a dead son or an alive son, he is still a son. The father sees the son a long way off and receives him with a kiss. The father restores his son by giving him a p...