Church of the Living God

The Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Which He Purchased With His Own Blood, Inc.

Jewell Dominion

Weekly Message from General Chief Overseer Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

Date: 10/31/2022

 

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory and to the Holy Ghost that abides within me. God has laid on my spirit to write a weekly message to the saints and friends of The Church of the Living God, The Pillar, and Ground of the Truth, Which He Purchased with His Own Blood, Inc.– Jewell Dominion. This week’s key word is Mindset Change (Part Four).

 

Saints and friends, you make wonder is it possible to change your mindset as a Christian? The answer is yes, there is a solution, but it requires you to change your mindset. It’s important for us to have our minds renewed as Christians. If our mind is not renewed, then it’s hard for us to receive something from God. He has a plan for our lives, but it’s hard to understand it or to follow it if we don’t have the wisdom to do so. God calls us to radically change our mindset, to be like-minded, humble-minded, and Christ-minded. As we follow Jesus, we learn to value others above ourselves and to truly live the way we were meant to live, so a watching world will take note (Philippians 2:1-11). Saints and friends, “Change your Mind”!

 

It’s important for us to have our minds renewed. We need to get our minds renewed so that we can be ready to receive what God has in store for us, as well as handle whatever challenges comes our way. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”. But as hard as it is to change on the outside, it seems infinitely harder to change on the inside. If there is anything we know about human nature, it is that people change slowly, if they change at all. Think about the struggles of your own life. What would you change about yourself on the inside if you could? Would it be an impatient spirit? Would it be a critical tongue? Would it be envy of those around you? Would it be a spirit of discontentment? Would it be lingering anger and resentment? Would it be uncontrollable sexual temptation? Would it be financial mismanagement? Would it be a guilty conscience? Would it be a tendency to look down on others? Would it be pride and arrogance? Would it be prejudice toward others? Would it be a quick temper? Would it be profound discouragement? Would it be an inability to appreciate life? Would it be an ungrateful spirit? Would it be a disorganized life? Would it be an inability to say no? Would it be a mean streak you can’t seem to get rid of?

 

Change is hard; nevertheless, we must be transfigured on the inside. Note the word “transfigured”.  The Greek word for “transformed” in Romans 12:2 is related to the English word metamorphosis. “Metamorphosis is the process by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, and a tadpole becomes a frog. It’s a gradual change on the inside that produces a total transformation on the outside. I used the word “transfigure” because this is the same Greek word used for the

transfiguration of Christ when the true glory of Christ began to shine through his humanity and “he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them” (Mark 9:2-3). The word means to be changed or transformed from one thing to another. When Jesus was transfigured, he did not cease to be Jesus. He was still who he had been moments before, but for a brief time, the curtain was pulled back, and James, Peter and John saw as much of the true divinity of Christ as any man can see and still live. In that moment they saw the “real Jesus,” the true Son of God from heaven. He did not cease to be a man, but his identity was revealed to them as “the true living God”. Metamorphosis reveals what was always there in the genes of the caterpillar. Metamorphosis reveals the essential character of whatever was put there by the Creator in the beginning. Now let’s apply this to every believer in Jesus. When we come to Christ, we have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). That’s an awesome thought that we who know Jesus as Lord and Savior have the “mind of Christ” within us.

 

In closing, saints, and friend, we have the “Mind of Christ”. According to Philippians 2:5 we, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” It will not happen by accident. It does not happen overnight. It cannot happen without the Holy Spirit. It happens when we make a personal commitment. It happens with the godly encouragement of other Christians. It happens as we become what God made us to be. It happens as we behold the glory of Jesus Christ. This is how the mind is renewed, by steadfastly gazing at the glories of Christ for what they really are. Therefore, we must pursue the Lord, to know him better and better. Then and only thing will be you be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  I think that’s what Paul has in mind in Romans 12:2 and in 2 Corinthians 3:18. As we reject the ways of the world (don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold), we must see things as God sees them. Therefore, just like the leaves falling off the trees, the trees are not dead. The trees are just letting dead leaves fall off its branches. We must do the same and let things die and fall off to follow Jesus. This is God’s desire. Having a transformed mind is within the reach of every believer because Matthew 19:26 tells us “…with God all things are possible”.

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop