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

  Let’s Grow Together: Aligning Beliefs, Behaviors, and Love in Christ "But speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ."   Ephesians 4:15 (KSB)    The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4 that there is both an individual and a collective consciousness in the Body of Christ. Jesus gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip the saints for ministry and to build up His body. This body is not a single person, it is all of us, joined together in unity, growing as one.  For us to grow together , certain principles must be in place. First, our behaviors and beliefs must be in alignment. If they are not, we will experience inner turmoil, which will spill over into the communities we are part of. Paul warns us not to be like children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but to stand firm in what we believe and live accordingly.   If your beliefs and behaviors do not match, y...

  Those Facts Are No Longer True. I AM New (Ephesians 4:24) "And put on the new person, which is created to be like God manifesting righteousness and holiness."   Ephesians 4:24 (KSB)    In Ephesians 4:24, Paul reminds us that in Christ we can become a new person. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “If any person is in Christ, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This is one of the greatest joys of being a Christian, your past no longer has power over you. Those facts about who you used to be are no longer true, because I AM new .  In Christ, I have embraced a new way of being, seeing, thinking, speaking, and living. I have awakened to the truth of who I AM: God’s beloved child, made in His image and likeness perfect, whole, and complete. I AM a unique, unrepeatable expression of the Divine. I AM a spiritual being living in a spiritual universe, governed by the spiritual law of love. Through God’s grace and mercy, we are given the...

  Before and After, Part 3: Seeing Life from God’s Higher Perspective (Ephesians 4:17) "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, do not live like the Gentiles who live in the vanity of their own minds."  Ephesians 4:17 (KSB)    It’s all a matter of perspective. Sometimes we strain to see God in a situation or to find the good in it because we’re looking from an eye-level view. But when we rise in our consciousness to the Christ Mind, the higher perspective we begin to see differently. As your consciousness rises, your perspective changes.  Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:6 that when Christ rose from the dead, we rose with Him; and when He ascended into the heavenly realms, we ascended with Him. Jesus did not die alone we died with Him to our old ways of thinking, speaking, and living. When He rose, we rose. When He ascended, we ascended. Wherever Jesus is, we are welcome to be. We are not limited to the earth or to physical situations. We can transce...

  Before and After, Part 4: From Lying to Truth-Telling (Ephesians 4:26)  "Wherefore putting away lying, let every person speak truth to their neighbors: for we are members one of another."   Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭26 KSB‬‬    In Ephesians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul shows us the incredible transformation Christ brings into our lives. He moves us from blindness to sight, from ignorance to understanding, from darkness to light, from unholiness to holiness, from unrighteousness to righteousness. Through metaphors and spiritual contrasts, Paul paints a vivid picture of our journey in Christ from lust to love, from greed to gratefulness.  Then, Paul gets very specific, almost as if giving us a spiritual checklist to measure our growth in Christ. One of the clearest signs of transformation is moving from lying to truth-telling . The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and when we walk in the Spirit, we are empowered to be open, honest, and transparent first with...

  Living in Alignment with the Holy Spirit  "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit who has sealed you until the Day of Redemption."   Ephesians 4:30 KSB    All of us have experienced loss, it’s part of the human experience. The feelings that come with loss are called grief, sorrow, or mourning. Mourning is the process of handling loss. It may be the loss of a person, a job, or even a cherished possession. Each type of loss carries emotions, and there’s a process we go through to navigate it.  When your life has been aligned a certain way and you experience loss, you must realign. Without that person, place, or thing, your life feels off balance like driving a car out of alignment. It pulls in a certain direction, wears you out faster, and keeps you from traveling smoothly. In grief, you need to find your balance again, regain your rhythm, and recover your “mojo.”    Give yourself permission to grieve. Feel your feelings. Give yourself permis...

  There Is Only One (Ephesians 4:4) "There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism."  Ephesians 4:5 KSB    In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul boldly declares that there is only one body , one Spirit , and we have been called into one hope of our calling. Over the next few days, I will be exploring the powerful truth that there is only one, one power, one presence, and one source of all life. That power and presence is God. It is good, it is in us, it flows through us, and it works as us. I AM one with God. I AM one with all life. I AM one with the One, because there is only one.  Paul says there is only one Spirit. Some may call alcohol “spirits,” and others may believe in many dark or negative forces, but the truth is there is only one Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. This divine breath of life is in every person. It is the breath causing our lungs to expand and contract, the one breath God breathed into humanity’s nostrils at creation.  ...

  Unity in the Spirit: How Equality Brings Peace (Ephesians 4:3) "Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  Ephesians 4:3 KSB    Unity is not something we have to fight for or create, it already exists. In Ephesians 4:3, Paul encourages us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This unity is found in the Spirit because we are all spiritual beings. In Christ, there is no male or female, Jew or Greek, bond or free we are one in Him.  There is no separation between us and God. "I and the Father are one." There is no separation between us and good, for God withholds no good thing. There is no separation between us and each other, every man is my brother, every woman my sister, every child my child. In the Spirit, prejudice, discrimination, and divisions disappear.    God’s promise in the last days is to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, breaking gender, age, and social barriers. The unity is...