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

  Come Read – Luke 15:11-32 Scripture : “I AM the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father without me (John 14:6).” Denial : “God will never reject me or abandon me.” Affirmation : “I AM always coming to my true self.” As a child, I remember the congregation singing, “Come to Jesus”  every Sunday during the Altar Call. The song planted a vivid image  in my mind of Jesus, our Wayshower, standing with his arms open wide. When I visited Brazil, there was actually a huge monument of this  portrayal of Jesus and people from all over the earth climbed a huge  the mountain to see it. After my visit there, in an even deeper way, I envision Jesus, our Perfect Pattern, always extending an open  invitation for all people to come to him. “Come to me all who labor  and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls (Matthew  11:28-30).” No matter where we have been or what we have done,  we can still come to Jesus and never have t...

  Loose Read – Matthew 16:13-18 Scripture : “The person whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36).” Denial : “I refuse to be bound by any person, place, or thing.” Affirmation : “I AM liberated. I AM free.” The Kingdom Key of Binding and Loosing is about the position of  the Church to bring all people to God and help them establish a  closer relationship with the Divine which is within them (Luke 17:21). Binding and loosing is not a popular phrase in today’s society. The  term comes from biblical times in relationship to animals. People  bound animals such as oxen, donkeys, and horses so that they did not go astray. They also put bits in their mouths to keep them  focused on the transportation task at hand. Then there were times  when they let the animals loose and allowed them to be free to run wild, to eat, and to play with the other animals. The word, l oose,  means liberty and freedom. At the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he told ...

  Forgiven Read – Matthew 9:1-8 Scripture : “ And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and if they have committed sins, they will be forgiven (James 5:15).” Denial : “Sickness, pain, disease, discomfort, and dysfunction leave my body now.” Affirmation : “Forgiveness brings about healing.” According to H. Emile Cady, “forgiveness is letting go of that which  is old, worn, obsolete and that which no longer serves you well.” It  removes the broken screws of hurt and loosens you from the frozen  nuts of bitterness and resentment. Forgiveness clamps the love in  your heart in place and reminds you of your oneness with all your  brothers, sisters, and siblings of the Universe. It removes the stripped screws of guilt and shame and opens you up to all the  good that you zipped away. When you stand praying, forgive. You  cannot pray without forgiveness, and you cannot forgive without  praying; they go together. W...

  Let Read – Matthew 5:13-16 Scripture : “ 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  (Colossians 3:16).” Denial : “I release and let go of forcing, making, manipulating, and  being controlling.” Affirmation : “My life is flowing with the ease and the breeze of  Spirit.” “Let” is often seen as a passive word because it means to allow  things to be or to come into existence. It is not viewed as forceful  as its counterpart, “make.” As God said, “Let there be…” the universe responded to God’s words and brought into being whatever God  said. God is still speaking, and the universe is still responding to  God’s words bringing into being whatever God says. “…My word that goes forth out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it  will accomplish that which I please, and it will do what I s...