Chosen Women

Praise the Lord, Everybody!

This week we look at the third and final installment of Strength in Weakness!
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In I Corinthians 8 Paul told us what our attitude should be if we have the mind of Christ. Look at verse 13. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

Paul is not playing! He’s saying as long as the world exists I am going to do all I can to be righteous lest I become a stumbling block to another soul! Another version brings further clarity verse 13:

Therefore, if [my eating a] food is a cause of my brother's falling or of hindering [his spiritual advancement], I will not eat [such] flesh forever, lest I cause my brother to be tripped up and fall and to be offended.

Our topical scripture in II Corinthians 12 says our strength is made perfect in weakness, and that we glory in our infirmities. But why? The answer is in verse 9 . . . so that the power of Christ may rest upon us. We glory in our infirmities understanding that we are gaining strength in the spirit. We are growing big Holy Ghost muscles as we endure like good soldiers. I don’t know about you, but I want the power of Christ to rest upon me.

So then, what happens when we make a decision to embrace the mind of Christ? We see it best through the life of Jesus because He lived His life on earth as an example for us.

Acts 10:38 ~ How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

God was with Him and God is with us. Our strength in God is going to be found by doing the will of the one who saved us and transformed us from creatures of darkness into creatures of light. Our strength is going to be renewed as we say yes to His will for our lives. Our strength is going to be made manifest as we put our own agendas and plans and visions on hold and get in line with what God has said our lives must be. It is time to be about our Father’s business!

When I was meditating on Word for today God began to tell me that some of the saints keep going around and around in circles – not able to transition into the next phase of their lives. I said, “Why God?” And He told me because they refuse to accept and embrace my way of doing things. They have a carnal mindset instead of a kingdom mindset.

They want to see provision before they move forward with my instructions. He said, “But I require faith!” They want to see it before they believe or move, but faith is the substance of things HOPED for – the evidence of things NOT seen.

He said, “That’s why they’re still waiting because they don’t believe Me for what seems impossible.” God said tell them you are going to keep waiting until I see some faith in operation!

Saints, I encourage you to trust God. Lean not to your own understanding. Submit to Him in your human weakness and be strengthened in the Spirit.

Jesus wants us to be going about doing the same things that He Himself was here on earth doing. He was our example! He was healing the sick, so He sent us forth to heal the sick. He was casting out demons, so He sent us fourth to cast out demons!

Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

In Service for the Master,

Evangelist Lisa Y. Mitchell

In I Corinthians 8 Paul told us what our attitude should be if we have the mind of Christ. Look at verse 13. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

Paul is not playing! He’s saying as long as the world exists I am going to do all I can to be righteous lest I become a stumbling block to another soul! Another version brings further clarity verse 13:

Therefore, if [my eating a] food is a cause of my brother's falling or of hindering [his spiritual advancement], I will not eat [such] flesh forever, lest I cause my brother to be tripped up and fall and to be offended.

Our topical scripture in II Corinthians 12 says our strength is made perfect in weakness, and that we glory in our infirmities. But why? The answer is in verse 9 . . . so that the power of Christ may rest upon us. We glory in our infirmities understanding that we are gaining strength in the spirit. We are growing big Holy Ghost muscles as we endure like good soldiers. I don’t know about you, but I want the power of Christ to rest upon me.

So then, what happens when we make a decision to embrace the mind of Christ? We see it best through the life of Jesus because He lived His life on earth as an example for us.

Acts 10:38 ~ How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

God was with Him and God is with us. Our strength in God is going to be found by doing the will of the one who saved us and transformed us from creatures of darkness into creatures of light. Our strength is going to be renewed as we say yes to His will for our lives. Our strength is going to be made manifest as we put our own agendas and plans and visions on hold and get in line with what God has said our lives must be. It is time to be about our Father’s business!

When I was meditating on Word for today God began to tell me that some of the saints keep going around and around in circles – not able to transition into the next phase of their lives. I said, “Why God?” And He told me because they refuse to accept and embrace my way of doing things. They have a carnal mindset instead of a kingdom mindset.

They want to see provision before they move forward with my instructions. He said, “But I require faith!” They want to see it before they believe or move, but faith is the substance of things HOPED for – the evidence of things NOT seen.

He said, “That’s why they’re still waiting because they don’t believe Me for what seems impossible.” God said tell them you are going to keep waiting until I see some faith in operation!

Saints, I encourage you to trust God. Lean not to your own understanding. Submit to Him in your human weakness and be strengthened in the Spirit.

Jesus wants us to be going about doing the same things that He Himself was here on earth doing. He was our example! He was healing the sick, so He sent us forth to heal the sick. He was casting out demons, so He sent us fourth to cast out demons!

Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

Praise the Lord, Everybody!

This week we continue with what God said is, “ . . . not JUST a Word for the local church – this is a Word for the body of Christ!” Now part two of Strength in Weakness!
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STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS (PART 2)

Some people are moving forward in the THINGS of Christ without having the MIND of Christ. But I declare that before we go any further in the things of God (here meaning the work of the church) we should be sure that we have made a decision to fully take on the mind of Christ. I used to really enjoy this movie called Stuart Saves His Family. In the film Stuart Smalley used to speak of ‘stinking thinking.’ I want you to know that there is too much stinking thinking in the body of Christ. Well what is stinking thinking? Any way of thinking that conforms to or parallels the world’s way of thinking. The world’s way of thinking about things is exactly opposite of God’s way of thinking.

Isaiah 55: 8-9: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

WHAT IS GOD’S WAY OF THINKING?

Luke 6:27-38 

27But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

29And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

30Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

People love to quote Luke 6:38, but rarely include all of the behavior listed in the previous verses that work along with giving to produce the good measure, pressed down shaken together blessing!    

So many believers have bought into the devil’s lies instead of letting this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We have taken on a mindset that says, “I am not going to be weak. I am not going to be stepped on. I’m not going to be anybody’s doormat!” Won’t take down – won’t take low. Refuse to apologize. Saints nowadays say – I’m not going to apologize! I didn’t do anything that I thought was offensive so I’m not taking down. But what does the Bible say?

(next week the conclusion of Strength in Weakness)

In Service for the Master,

Evangelist Lisa Y. Mitchell

Praise the Lord, Everybody!

I pray that you are now living your best life in Christ; walking by faith and not by sight. Do not let what you see inhibit you from making faith acts. Faith acts are faith filled responses to the Word and Promises of God. You moving in faith and moving upon your faith is the only thing that can cause you to please God!

Well, a few weeks back I ministered at a church in our city on the subject Strength in Weakness. God told me to bring it to our local church and teach the content. Right in the midst of me doing that at our Wednesday Night Bible Study I heard God say, “This is not JUST a Word for the local church – this is a Word for the body of Christ!”

I am going to share some of the transcript of this message over the next three weeks in hopes that you will read it, and then pass it on. There is a contagious infection in the Body of Christ . . . and we need a Blood Test!
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STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS (PART I)

When I was preparing to minister a few weeks ago the Lord began to deal with me about this mindset that has worked its way into the body among believers. He told me there was an infection in the body of Christ.

God literally sat me down and gave me a lesson about it. He used an analogy of the body of Christ vs. the natural body. He showed me how sometimes we have an infection in our bodies, and do not know it because there are no recognizable symptoms. So we can walk around with something raging through our bodies; eating away at us. It is there zapping our strength – blocking our nutrients – wreaking all sorts of havoc, and we don’t even know it.

God told me that there is a deadly, contagious spiritual infection going around in the body of Christ that is attacking the minds of so many believers. And the saddest part is that there are no symptoms that are recognizable to them. They think they are doing just fine. They do not even realize that they have been exposed to this infection, and now they have slipped into carnal, faithless thinking and a worldly mindset that is hindering them from having the true mind of Christ!

The infection has caused them to subtly accept worldly ideology. The infection is blocking the Word that they hear on Tuesday or Wednesday or Sunday from ever taking root. Pastors are preaching and teaching themselves until they are tired but seeing no real change in the people. The people seem to take a step forward but the next week or two they are talking and acting the same old way like they never heard the Word of God!

God told me that certain infections in our natural bodies are not identified until we are given a blood test. A medical professional must draw blood, and the lab must test it to see if we are diseased. Well, my assignment today is to give you a blood test! You need to know if you’ve been infected so you can get delivered and get your righteous mind back!

It could be that someone right here in your local church has been exposed to the infection! It could be running rampant right in your home! So I said that our topic is Strength in Weakness. This phrase actually represents the mind of Christ. What the world defines as weakness is exactly what God uses to demonstrate His strength and power!

Let’s look at II Corinthians Chapter 12: 9-10.

  9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Saints, we are not demonstrating strength when we respond like the world. We demonstrate weakness when our response to troubling issues becomes talking crazy to people; fussing and fighting like the unsaved; repaying every attack with our own attack; sitting up thinking about how to get folks back that do evil to us. Being strong in God can sometimes look like weakness to carnal men.

Jesus might have looked weak to carnal men when He endured the suffering and humiliation of His crucifixion.Yet through His act of ‘weakness’ God’s strength and power were revealed to the point of declawing death, hell and the grave AND purchasing salvation for us all!

Next week – Strength in Weakness Part II

In Service for the Master,

Evangelist Lisa Y. Mitchell