Brother Bill Sunday School 3/9/14

The mind of God through prayer:

C E Orr, Odors for Golden vials:

The Mind of Christ Retained through Prayer.

The Christian has the mind of Christ. The Scripture says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”; "But we have the mind of Christ." These words contain a very deep thought. It is too deep for our finite mind to fathom. We can readily see, however, that it means to be humble-minded, meek, lowly, patient, long-suffering, and loving, like Jesus.

Yes, it means to have a disposition like his, but it means more. A deeper thought is that we have such a union with Jesus that we can think his thoughts. We are one body with Christ. “We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." This is mysterious, but it is true. Jesus being the head of this body, his will is to be done throughout the whole.

Our minds are to be in harmony with the great mind of God. Between our mind and the mind of the Lord there is a connection something like the nervous connections in the human body. Through this union God conveys his thoughts to our minds.

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.”

In the spirit and eternal world many beauties and glories are waiting our vision. We here see through a glass darkly, but even so we can see some heavenly glories. The glass is not so dark that we can see nothing of God. The Spirit of God reveals to us something of the scenes we shall see hereafter. We catch far-away glimpses of them, so to speak. The closer we live to God in this life, the farther we can see into the life beyond. By his Spirit God shines into our hearts and gives us, some knowledge of heavenly things.

The mind of the Christian is in touch with the mind of the Lord. The minister who preaches under the anointing of the Holy Spirit is but expressing the mind of God. The thoughts of the Lord become his thoughts, and he expresses them.

Prayer is the most essential means of keeping the mind of Christ. If the preacher would have the mind of the Lord while preaching, if he would minister grace to others in conversation, he must live much in prayer.

In my prayer life often times I pray, God help me to have a better understanding on how you would have me to walk.  It takes time to get a close relationship with God.  We are in perilous times.  There are people that have been saved for years and then fallen away. 

Odors From Golden Vials continued:

God is able to direct in conversation so that it will be the most helpful 

to those engaged. The same is true in testimony and in preaching. 

Thus the mind of God controls the mind of his servant. 

That our minds may be most perfectly imbued with the mind of God, 

our life needs to be one of unceasing prayer. The mind needs to be 

stayed on God. Our life can never be successful unless we have the 

mind of Christ in the sense in which I have been speaking. 

The work of our life can be carried on under the direction of the 

Holy Spirit. No other life is successful. 

There is a sense in which God rules the minds of men. He puts it in 

the mind of the unregenerate to befriend his praying children. In such 

an act sinners are performing what God has in mind. We who live and 

walk in the Spirit can so have the mind of Christ that we can always be 

acting out what is in the mind of God. 

The church of God is to execute the design of God. When the 

church is turning her attention, strengthening her forces, and 

redoubling her efforts in a certain direction, we know the mind 

of God is turning that way. Sometimes God's children all over the 

world are moved to pray for a certain line of work or a certain cause. 

This is the mind of God flowing into the minds of his children. 

Prayer keeps the channel open; it keeps the line of communication 

continuous so that we can always be in the will of God. 

If this one over here lives in such a way that they have that intimate contact with God so that they know the mind of God and that one there and over there does the same thing then they are all moving together.  That is why sometimes we find out the same message came forth in more than one location at the same time. 

That we all may be one:  How many times has it come over the pulpit just as God has been dealing with your heart?  Or someone testifies what they have gone through and it is what someone in another pew is needing? 

Luk 9:18  And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?

Luk 9:19  They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

Luk 9:20  He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

Different ones of the people had a different thought of who Jesus was.  But the disciples had spent time with Jesus and they had a clearer picture of who He was.  If we will spend time with God, He can help us to have the mind of Christ.

Luk 9:28  And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

Luk 9:29  And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

Luk 9:30  And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

Luk 9:31  Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

I wonder if one of the many reasons that Jesus had them go into the mountain with Him is to see the affects of prayer.  When He prayed something happened.  The fashion of His countenance was changed; we can be graceless before and after praying the circumstances haven’t changed, but we have.

There were other things happen:  Jesus was trying to tell them that if they make the effort then they will see some things.

Mat 17:1  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

Mat 17:2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Mat 17:3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Mat 17:4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Mat 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Mat 17:6  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Mat 17:7  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

Mat 17:8  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

He brought them into a high mountain.  If you are to climb a high mountain it takes effort.  That is how it is to do the things of God.  It is so easy to sit in the chair and read a book or do other things, but it takes the extra effort to get alone with God. 

There is benefit.  I am not talking just of having devotions; I’m talking about spending the extra time with God.  In a proper way, not just rushing through, spending time alone with God.  You come away from the time of prayer feeling just as it said in one reading, “Lord it is good for us to be here.”  There is something about it that is a benefit to your soul. 

Joh 20:1  The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

Joh 20:2  Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Joh 20:3  Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

Joh 20:4  So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

Joh 20:5  And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

Joh 20:6  Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

Joh 20:7  And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Joh 20:8  Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

Joh 20:9  For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Joh 20:10  Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

Joh 20:11  But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

Joh 20:12  And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

Joh 20:13  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

Joh 20:14  And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Joh 20:15  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Joh 20:16  Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Joh 20:17  Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Joh 20:18  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Verse 11:  Mary tarried there.  She did not just go back with them but stayed weeping.  If Peter and John would have tarried longer would they have seen these angels?  Mary stayed there longer than they did.  we can have more than just a ‘regular’ prayer life.  God can help us to gain more too.

Mary got to witness things that the disciples did not witness.  In human eyes, the disciples looked to be on a different level than Mary.  In actuality, not one saint is better than another. 

It may have been this Mary that out of her had been cast out seven devils.  People could have looked at her with different eyes because of it.  God and Jesus don’t look at people in this manner.  Mary tarried longer at the sepulcher and got to see what the disciples did not.

Don’t we want to know His will in our lives?  We want to tarry longer in prayer.  Remember it talking of the secret things of God?  There are times when you can run into things where it doesn’t tell you how to handle things in the scripture but it may come to you in prayer: “Be careful that you don’t do it this way.”  I wonder if that is part of the secret things, you being close enough to God so that you are taught of the Spirit of God.  We need the Word and the Spirit. 

Yes people need to be saved and sanctified, obeying the Word of God, and faithful in their devotions.  Add to all of that to: have a faithful relationship with God.  If we will do that then we have the ticket to go all the way through into heaven.

If we have a close relationship with God and keep humble and do all we know to do then what is there to keep us from going through the gates of heaven?

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Be not fashioned to the same pattern as the world but transfigured by the renovation, complete change for the better, of our mind. 

If we will have that intimate walk with God, it has an effect on our mind. 

That you may discern, what is that benefit,

I wonder if that is why you see some people fall away:  they start drifting from their relationship with God and they start losing their discernment of what is good that they had from God. 

Serving God:  I see myself getting older and I think, “Help me in the years that I have left to be my very fullest to serving God.”  Your mind could go to seeing yourself get older and wanting a sports car and start drifting away instead.  We need prayer and that close walk with God to keep what we have.