The Flesh- 'Mind Renewal"

     Today is my daughters 12th birthday.  So the first thing I did when she woke was shout, "Happy Birthday!" Then I went into the kitchen warmed her bottle and gave it to her .  Then I changed her diaper and gave her a bath. I brushed her hair and placed barrettes in it and put on her bib for today. My daughter is 12 today!
    Now that is crazy but Christians do it all the time.  We never change our way of thinking but we wonder why life does  not change for the good or we remain stuck in an old way of thinking.  It doesn't work becasue you have outgrown your old way of thinking.  Life has taken you in a new direction.  It's time to renew that mind..
      In your own life, what areas are you still drinking milk when you should be on solid foods?.  How many of us are still whining like little babies every time something does not go the way we want it?  We Refuse to renew our minds with our attitudes and mouth. 
   On Monday, I shared 5 areas to resolving Flesh issues. They are as followed:
1.  Mind renewal
2.  Consecration
3.  Self -discipline
4.  Faith
5.  The grace of God

Romans 121-2

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

    Very simple truth this morning.  If you are  now a size 20, you can't  wear a size 8 anymore.  You have to change your thinking or wear clothes that are too tight.  Men, if your stomach hangs over your pants, you might not want to wear muscle shirts and tank tops out in public.  Times have changed! 

    Renewing the mind for a Christian is just as important as feeding ourselves daily.. We all have to eat to live.  Christians must renew our minds if we want to live successful Christian lives.  It is necesssary!

P.S. No I am not feeding my pre teen or changing her.  Just an illustration! lol!

Brother Clarence

www.godlyking.com

www.godlykings.blogspot.com

9/11

     Regardless of how old you are or what religious preference or difference you might have, on 9/11 life in America changed forever.  It was a day that I will never forget and many people who were alive will never forget.  Thousands of lives were lost and  and families were affected by devastation and tyranny. Our nation was visibly attacked in a way that has changed our every day culture. Now over 10 years later, we still feel  the effects of 9/11.  Travel across America and go to any airport you see and feel the effects.  Visit  New York City and  where the World Trade Center once stood tall and bright hovering over the city's skyline is now a place of memorial, remembrance and reflection.
      9/11 was meant to destroy and defeat us as Americans.  It was orchestrated to change our lives for the worst. It was meant to kill hope and destroy the possibility of recovery.  It was an attempt to bully us and frighten us but it did just the opposite.  Here is a quote from the former Mayor of NYC.

‎"The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom." -Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of NYC

     One lesson I learned from 9/11 is that the enemy does come but it is how we respond to a crisis and challenge  is how you overcome it.  " Our resolve is strong"  President Bush told us.  America United for a single purpose.  To rebuild and move on.  No, I am not a republican, but 9/11 made me proud to be an American and proud to say that America and freedom was still alive and no attack could change that. We were stronger than the buildings and we had the resolve to pick up and move ahead.

  Today, Bin Laden has been killed by the Obama administration.  Today, we watch  documentaries and films on what happened and we celebrate the heroes of the day.  Be mindful of this: 
"Your adversary(the enemy) walks to and fro seeking whom he may devour." but God!

2Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished:"

Today we are stronger.  Today we are wiser.  Today, I celebrate the resolve of our great nation.  Today, I celebrate being a proud American because if you are in Christ, Greater is He in us than he who is in the world and without Christ our hope. God Bless America and God Bless You!

Brother Clarence
www.godlykings.com
www. godlykings.blogspot.com

What is the Flesh?

Galatians 5:16-24

New King James Version (NKJV)

Walking in the Spirit

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^[a] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders,^[b] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
  
     In our Christian journey, one thing we can be certain of is that we will always have to deal with our flesh.  As long as we exist on the earth, our flesh will have cravings and appetites of it's own.  This week, we will look at the flesh.  Examine what it is and how we can overcome it.  Today we answer the question, "What is the flesh?"

Seven definitions of the Flesh
1.  Pleasures or bodily appetites that pull us outside of the will  of God.
2.  Un Christ like attitudes.
3.  Evil tendencies inherited from Adam. ( This would include pre salvation thought patterns or habits brought over from the life you lived before receiving Christ.)
4.  Unchecked natural needs or desires.  (For example: Eating is a natural need  we all have but if we do not balance this natural need we can end up in gluttony.)
5.  Carnal Mindedness ( A mind governed by the senses.)
6.  A strong desire for anything outside of the will of God.
7.  Self centered behavior that ignores the needs and well beings of others.

From these definitions we all should be able to locate ourselves and locate our issues.  We all have a pull to something that our flesh wants but that part is not sin.  If we act on those  desires, cravings, and appetites of our flesh, we enter into sin. In verse 19-20 the bible describes works of the flesh.  That includes our bodies, mouth and heart.   Here are 5 keys to resolving flesh issues:
1.  Mind renewal
2.  Consecration
3.   Self Discipline
4.  Faith
5.  Grace of God

It's now time to do the work.  It's time to do the things that will help us overcome.  Some of us it's sexual sins.  Some of us it's old destructive habits. For some of us it's our mouth..  It is all sin in God's sight and we must all do the work to control our flesh.

Brother Clarence
Author and Family Strategist
www.godlyking.com
www.godlykings.blogspot.com

Purpose- Living without Contention

²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Yesterday, I received an email from Leitha Dees with a question that I will start today's discussion with.

Will you be expounding on verse 28 in the future and what that means? We were told to “have dominion over” not destroy, abuse, misuse, manipulate, endanger, deform, pollute, maim, kill, alter… or any other word you can use that defines what has happened to and on this earth at the hands of man.

I too asked God what it was like before Adam ate the fruit and satan took over rule of the earth. Here is the response I got.

            We also need to pay close attention to the order of things.  God gave Adam a job before HE gave Him a helpmate.  God established Himself with Adam.  He also gave Him instructions to follow.  Think about it.  God placed Adam in paradise and said all you need to do is enjoy it, tend to it, and nurture it.  Everything that he would ever need had already been given to him.  Adam was in direct contact with God.  He talked to God and communed with Him.  He was at complete peace without even the knowledge of sin.  He gave Adam authority to rule.  He placed every animal before Adam and told him to name them.  Whatever Adam called the animal, it was so.  Adam was secure in himself but God wanted him to experience enjoying the garden with someone and let them also experience paradise. I asked the Holy Spirit, “What was paradise ( the Garden of Eden) like?”  The Holy Spirit said two words; “without contention.” The word without means:

1.    Not having; lacking

The word contention means:

 1. The act or an instance of striving in controversy or debate.

2. A striving to win in competition; rivalry.

3. The act of contending; strife, struggle, controversy, dispute, quarrel.

To put this into perspective, everything the word contention means; paradise was (not having; lacking) all of that.  Contention is the complete opposite of what paradise was and the original intent God had for man and woman to experience.  The world and all of its inhabitants lived in perfect harmony.  Everything that had been created was good and was in the state of “no contention.’  Let’s think about this: All of what God created lived in perfect harmony.  Man, the animals, the food that was created, the weather and environment existed in perfect harmony.  Imagine what that must have been like.  The food that they ate was without pesticides, chemicals, worms, insects, and weeds.  Adam and Eve related to each other in harmony.  She wasn’t trying to be Adam and Adam wasn’t trying to be Eve.  No arguing and feelings being hurt, no bad days when I don’t want to be bothered, no headaches and pain in their bodies. This is a big one, no “Ms. Attitude” and no going to bed mad and when you wake up the next morning you’re angrier than what you were the night before.   Everything functioned the way God intended; emotionally, mentally and physically whole. Everything in their bodies functioned the way it was created to function.  No cancers, diseases, colds and flu's, no chicken pots and measles. No diarrhea, no constipation, no heartburn. None of it!  Think about the weather. There were no storms, no heat waves, no cold fronts, no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no volcanic eruptions, no tsunami waves, no earthquakes, no thunder and lightning, no hail storms, no mudslides, no massive sinkholes, and no rain. It was a perfect mist that kept the fruit growing and flourishing. The animals were not fighting and attacking each other.  No animals tore up the garden and attacked Adam and Eve. Adam told the animals what to do.  He was in complete dominion. Everything that was created lived in perfect harmony. 

God's original plan for us is life without contention!  If you get a revelation  of what that is it so worth a praise break!  If you don't remember anything else this weekend,  remember God's original plan and purpose for you is "Life without Contention"!

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Brother Clarence

www.godlyking.com

www.godlykingsblogspot.com

Purpose- God's Original Plan for Man

Genesis 1:26-28

²⁶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

 ²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

 ²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

From the scriptures, we can gain some insight into why we were created. In Genesis 1: 26; God says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. The word image means a reproduction of the form of a person or object. The word likeness means similarity in appearance or character or nature between persons or things.  We were created to look like God.  Also, we were created in his likeness which means we are to be similar to God in appearance and character.  The basis of our existence and our purpose as men is to look like God and act like God according to the scriptures.  This is the very beginning of time and God was very purposeful in how and why HE created man on the earth.  Everything that defines what a man is and what he is to do is defined in these three scriptures.  This should be the foundation for our identity.  Furthermore, it gives us insight on how we are to live. 

If you are walking around scared of ants, spiders, and bugs;  that's not Gods plan for you.  If you are going around cursing and using foul language, that's not Gods plan for you.  If you are still fornicating, committting adultery, or still dancing on that pole; that's not Gods plan for you.  We were made to act and behave like HIM.  If you are still dealing with flesh issues like I deal, a goood book to read is  "A Struggle Not Meant for a King. " I still have to read it to help myself.

So our purpose should not conflict with our character and our likeness if we understand that God's original plan of purpose for us is to look and act like HIM.  This means we don't have to go to Chic fila A  and protest and we don't have to go there to support it,  the word of God is still the same and has not changed.  People change; not God!  His purpose has not changed  and his mindset didn't change because we are now living in 2012.

Brother Clarence
www.godlyking.com
www.godlykingsblogspot.com

Destiny Defines Purpose

What is Purpose? Why is finding purpose so important? The dictionary defines purpose as, “An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions. The object toward which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or a goal.”  The best definition I have found that defines purpose and man’s goal to happiness is this.  “Purpose is not a destination reached, but a series of opportunities along life’s journey that present themselves for us to be in position: physically, mentally, and spiritually, to fulfill a need that destiny has placed before us that will serve our fellow man and glorify God.”One main key to understanding our own individual purpose is to understand the purpose in which God created man and to understand that every man was destined to fulfill it.

 Destiny is an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future.   Your destiny is what you are called to do and the process of events that ultimately lead you to achieving your goal to fulfill purpose.  Have your ever heard someone say, "I was destined for this." We all are destined for something but we have to understand that there are two forces that has a plan for your destiny.  God has a plan for your destiny and satan has a plan for your destiny.  It is our responsibility  to know and  understand the difference between the two.  satans wants to destroy but God wants to add life to you.  Your destiny is waiting regardless which one you chose.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Brother Clarence

www.godlyking.com

www.godlykings.blogspot.com

Purpose

Jeremiah 1 :5

Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

The purpose of man is undeniably one of the most misunderstood and misguiding things.  It is true in the world system and that is also true in the kingdom.  I believe purpose is so challenging for men today  because satan uses the search for and the desire for purpose as a strategy to disguise, confuse and delay men from reaching or ever  understanding  what their  true purpose is.  Materialism, greed and lust are core contributors to the “deception of success “that satan uses to keep us guessing and constantly looking. He never intends for you to find the keys to life’s purpose and happiness. He continues to disguise and beguile us to keep us frustrated and off course from reaching our destinies.  My pastor gave this definition of deception. “Deception is when satan has successfully cancelled out tomorrow’s consequences by emphasizing today’s delight in your mind.”

This is where most men are focusing there energy and efforts; emphasizing on today’s delights and forgetting the consequences that come with wrong focus and intentions.  We have been deceived too long. As Christians, we have an obligation to discover what God wants us to accomplish on the earth.  Here is one important key to understanding purpose. Your purpose should bring you closer to God because your purpose for life should come from God. The struggle we have is in the stepping out and believing what you know to be what you’re called to do.  What I have learned, If God is calling you to do something, HE will provide everything you need to accomplish the task. We must be sure it is His will and not our own ambitions that we seek.  I believe every man will experience happiness and fulfillment when he discovers who he is and what he is on the earth to do. 

Brother Clarence

www.godlykings.blogspot.com

      www.godlyking.com