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

 Jesus Asked Questions Read – Luke 2:41-52 Scripture: “Ask and it shall be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened you (Matthew 7:7).” Denial: “Asking questions does not diminish my intelligence. “ Affirmation: “I AM the question. I AM the answer.” In elementary school one of my teachers used to remind us, “there are no dumb questions.” She encouraged her students to ask questions because many people learn through this interactive method. When I reached middle school, a different teacher put another spin on asking questions. His belief was “The only dumb questions are the ones that you don’t ask.” It made no sense to him to be in a place where you can receive the answer and you still leave with a question. One of my high school teachers built on that foundation and stated, “If you have a question, ask it because likely there is someone else in the class who has the same question and does not have the courage to ask it.” Asking questions was a signature part of Je...

 Speak to the Mountain Read – Mark 11:12-25 Scripture: “Truly, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their hearts but believe that what they say will happen, it will be done for them (Mark 11:23).” Denial: “I release fear. And let go of doubt.” Affirmation: “My mouth makes miracles.” Jesus is our Wayshower, our example of what it means to be fully human and fully divine. When we follow his example, we know who we are as spiritual beings. When we walk in his footsteps, we exercise our dominion over nature and take care of the earth (Genesis 2:15). Looking to Jesus as our older brother, empowers us to operate in the specific earthly domain to which we are called. Jesus used the disciples’ astonishment at his ability to reign in nature as a teaching moment. He confirmed that they also had power to speak to nature. He used the mountain as an example of their authority. He assured them that they had the power to speak to the mountain and cast it into...

Jesus Spoke to the Fig Tree Read – Matthew 21:18-21 Scripture: “And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, look how fast the fig tree withered away (Matthew 21:20)!” Denial: “I release and let go of anything in my life that is not purposeful.” Affirmation: “What I say about my life has more power than what anyone else says about me.” God created the earth; therefore, the earth belongs to God. God has chosen to delegate dominion over the earth to humanity. God gave us dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the animals on the land (Genesis 1:26-28). Whatever happens on the earth, we are responsible, not God. Jesus, our Wayshower, realized his God-given dominion on the earth and his power over nature. On one occasion, Jesus was doing ministry and was hungry. He was looking for something to eat and he saw a fig tree. As he came closer to the fig tree, he realized that the fig tree was barren. It did not have any figs; it only had leaves. Jesus needed mo...

  Jesus Spoke to the Storm Read – Matthew 8:23-27 Scripture : “The people were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him (Matthew 8:27).” Denial : “No storm of life is beyond my control.” Affirmation : “I use the power of my words to bring peace.” Water is a powerful element in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus turned  water into wine (John 2:1-11). He even defied gravity and walked on  water (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus did a lot of his preaching and teaching on the water. His disciples were often on boats following  him. In one instance, a storm arose while they were traveling on a  boat and Jesus was asleep. The disciples woke Jesus, and he calmed the raging seas. Jesus, our Wayshower, spoke to the winds and the waves and said,  “Peace, be still (Mark 4:39).” The multitudes were amazed that even  the winds and the waves obeyed his voice. Following Jesus as our Wayshower, gives us the same right to speak to the stor...

  devil Read – Matthew 4:1-11 Scripture : “Neither give place to the devil ( Ephesians 4:27).” Denial : “The devil has no power over me.” Affirmation : “I take responsibility for my life.” The devil is not an entity with a tail, a horn, and a pitchfork. The devil  is the part of your soul that does not desire to grow, change, or heal.  The devil is crystalized negativity. The enemy is the “inner me.” It is that part of you that desires to hold on to negativity instead of  forgiving. The devil is your subconscious mind that continuously  replays the tape of victimization instead of learning from your past  experiences and letting them go.  Jesus, our Wayshower, never capitalized the word, devil. He kept devil lower case as a thing as opposed to a person. Jesus, our  example of what it means to be fully human and fully divine, told  the devil to get behind him which means become a thing of my  past. He cast the devil, the personification ...