BEING LED BY THE SPIRIT!
Romans 8.6 KJV For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
I like to put it this way
When your mind agrees with your spirit, then you're spiritually minded, but when your mind agrees with your flesh, then you're carnally minded.
That is why you need to read and study The Word every day.
Jesus said in Matthew 12
V 35 KJV A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
You can't bring it forth UNTIL you get it down into your heart..
Do you know you have tremendous creative abilities? How do I know? Because everyone has them! Your abilities may be locked away or infrequently called upon, but they are there. The question is, how do you call them out, dust them off and put them to work for you?
Listen to me anything you can conceive in your heart you can bring forth. The principle works in health, finance, marriage etc.
That's why the enemy will try to keep you out of God's Word, that's why he fights against you getting to these Friday studies because they are Word studies.
This way of thinking is so powerful that when you use it, you will transform your life!
Why? You will be taking advantage of what has been called the Iron Law of the Universe, the Law Of Cause And Effect.
This law states that nothing happens without a cause.
Nothing happens in your life without a reason.
While you can't control everything that happens to you from outside causes, BUT you can control your own actions and decisions; regarding what happens to you.
As someone has said "You can't stop the birds flying over your head but you can stop them from nesting in your hair!"
You control how you use your time and energy.
The choices you make about what you do and don't do are the major factors that control your life.
They are the causes that bring about the effects.
I suppose most of you have changed a babies nappy [diaper] at some time or other, probably a few of the men but I know all the ladies probably have more experience with that.
As you know that Pamper or Huggie may say "Up to 30 lbs" but that is not talking about how much it can hold.
You will probably know ahead of time that the time has arrived to make the change.
Did you ever try putting on the new nappy [diaper] before taking off the old?
If you did you're sure to have had problems!
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4.22-24 NIV
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
You have to take off the old before you can put on the new!
Too many people are trying to live a New Creation Life with all the old life still hanging around.
Paul calls that being renewed in the spirit of your mind.
V23 KJV And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Think about the prodigal son, as long as he had a pig pen mentality and he was dead to his father's love and blessings and his rightful place as son and heir.
Luke 15.11-31 Living Bible
11 To further illustrate the point, he told them this story: "A man had two sons.
12 When the younger told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die!' his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there wasted all his money on parties and prostitutes.
14 About the time his money was gone a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.
15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs.
16 The boy became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the swine looked good to him. And no one gave him anything.
17 "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired men have food enough and to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger!
WHEN HE WAS RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF HIS MIND!
18 I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,
19 and am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired man.'"
20 "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming, and was filled with loving pity and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21 "His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am not worthy of being called your son--'
22 "But his father said to the slaves, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. And a jeweled ring for his finger; and shoes!
23 And kill the calf we have in the fattening pen. We must celebrate with a feast,
24 for this son of mine was dead and has returned to life. He was lost and is found.' So the party began.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working; when he returned home, he heard dance music coming from the house,
26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on.
27 "'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast to celebrate his coming home again unharmed.'
28 "The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him,
29 but he replied, 'All these years I've worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to; and in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.
30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after spending your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have on the place.'
31 "'Look, dear son,' his father said to him, 'you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours.
32 But it is right to celebrate. For he is your brother; and he was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!'"
When this young man came to his senses he began to see what his rights were and he was prepared to give up his sonship and just be a servant because the servants in his father's house were better of than he was in the pigpen. He was motivated by a vision of financial prosperity, even though he had made a mess of things.
When he returned his father had already forgiven all the failure, and then he put the ring on his finger [sign of authority and restoration to his rightful place in the family].
He put a robe on him [sign of position and leadership].
He put shoes on his feet [sign that he was a son not a slave].
He had a party and killed the wheat fatted calf, the one prepared for sacrifice, they had a great time of singing and making merry.
The son who was lost came home to the blessings because even though he had been 'lost' he was still able to be Led By The Spirit and find his way home, to the BLESSINGS.
