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R
EPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND! (Matthew 4:17)
These are the words Jesus used to commence His ministry after His encounter with Satan in the desert. For many of you hearing the word repentance evokes thoughts of running to the church altar and sorrowfully crying out to the Lord to forgive you of your sins. For some it is vowing not to do a particular sin and doing all that you can to curb your behaviour and resist temptation. However, careful study of the original Greek text points to a particular kind of repentance which does not call for the reactions mentioned. You maybe surprised to know that in the original language the word Jesus used for repentance has nothing to do with seeking for forgiveness or feeling regret due of the consequences of one’s actions. Instead it means to ‘change your mind’ as a result of knowledge received. Thus Jesus’ call to repentance is a call to embrace a new way of thinking in order to function effectively in the Kingdom. Everything that Jesus did and taught after that was to communicate the Kingdom thinking He wanted us to now embrace. Jesus said: “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. That way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved.” Matthew 9:17 NLT Likewise, you will never receive the benefits of the Kingdom without a significant change to how you think. Restraining behaviour without changing the thoughts that fuel them, is like trying to hold a beach ball under water. Eventually the behaviour will surface ‘when’ you take your hands off the ball. How you think is key to all that you will experience in life because your reality is the product of thoughts! Ignorance of this very fact causes many to ask or pray for things that their reality simply does
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not support. Thus, like the old wineskins, they are incapable of receiving or maintaining the blessings they so desire! The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) shows us that you can give a man £5000 and he will double it over time. You can give another man (in similar circumstances) £1000 and he will end up loosing it and more. I would venture to say the same outcome would occur if they were both given £5000 or £1000! Both men shared similar circumstances but according to the parable, the steward who lost it all, did so as a result of the ill thoughts he harboured against the master - colloquially called 'stinking thinking.' To quote James Allen, the author of 'As a Man Thinketh' (title derived
Simply put, seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness involves learning how to think like God. Hence to the believer, God gives His Spirit so that we may have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). When we learn to think like God, like a magnet, we will attract (have added unto us) the things we most desire. If we want to experience the promise of God's abundant life we must embrace His thoughts pertaining to that promise. Likewise our mind will also attract into our life the things we don't want (fear). Your mind is the centre of your life and thus the place where we must allow God to occupy. You cannot afford to let fear, doubt or discouragement have a stronghold in your mind. You must guard your mind at all costs! Hence Paul states: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philipians 4:6-7 NKJV).
from Proverbs 23:7): "Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound." Improving yourself starts with improving the quality of your thoughts. Hence Paul teaches that transformation takes place through the qualitative renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of your thoughts. The key to effective living can be found in this one sentence: "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33 KJV).
Notice the text does not say that God will give you what you requested. Instead God will guard your mind with His peace! This is because that which you want has to be manifested through your mind. Having His peace guarding your mind will grant you the protection and the focus you need to bring about what you desire. With His peace you are now able to develop the quality of your thoughts and embrace kingdom thinking: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things" (Philipians 4:8 NIV). If this article has been a blessing to you in anyway please email: pearls@ministryinart.com
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Deitrick Haddon husband, artist, pastor, actor......
SPREAD THE WORDTM caught up with Deitrick Haddon on his recent visit to London
promoting the new DVD which he produced and also stars in - Blessed and Cursed. STW: You wear so many hats, singer, writer, producer, actor and preacher,
which hat suits you best? DH: All are me really. I enjoy writing song and entertaining, I enjoy producing, I enjoy
being a Pastor as well as having sense of directing people. STW: I find your material to be before it’s time which in itself has it’s
challenges. Do you find this to be a stumbling block? DH: Yes, I have had to deal with things, being ahead of my time, however,
it’s was not stumbling block. My parents bought us up to be confident. God anointed me to do this. STW: Is now the time to be successful with this type of sound? DH: Church are more accepting of the less traditional.
People are ready for a new sound; they are not so reserved anymore. Leaders and people are now out of the box and have taken God out the box. STW: Did you accomplish what God anointed you to do? DH: Yes I did accomplish and did what God anointed me to do, and did it the way God gave it me. People were not ready for contemporary edgy sound; God has anointed me to ear things and perform it different. STW: You are here promoting Blessed and Cursed is this your true story? DH: Yes parts of it was my true story. The movie is about a worship leader whose spiritual father turned on him, rejected him. I was rejected and turned on not by my spiritual leader but by some church folks. STW: What inspired this movie?
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DH: Its based on Saul and David, Saul’s love for David turned to hate, David ending up being chased by his spiritual leader, the movie shows how I was loved and then rejected by my spiritual leader but just like David I overcame. If God is for you.... STW: Are you not concern the message in this movie might stop people going to church? DH: Never concerned no. It’s been attracting people to church, they can relate to it, I started to pastor my church in Detroit a year and a half ago with 500 it is now over 2000 and that’s partly because of the movie. STW: So would you say it has been a witness? DH: It has been a witness to many, a lot of the people on the
set were already believers but cast and crew would still leave the set impacted. It has also been an underground success. Rather than keeping people away it has caused some to get their life on track and has bought healing to many. STW: Does it not give “the church” a bad name? DH: I was born in church, I have no plan on leaving the church and I pastor a church. This movie was done with class it was not done to offend anyone. STW: So what’s next the big screen? DH: No not yet the plan is to do four more DVD’s then number five will be the big screen ?
STW: What would you like to be remembered for? DH: Small question but also a big question, I would like to be remembered as a fearless, hard working anointed man of God,
I work hard in the kingdom. If there was an award for the hardest working man then I would win it every time. I can eat because I work; if a man doesn’t work he must not eat!
STW: Which man in the bible would you identify with the
most? DH: Samuel, Jeremiah, David. I see myself in David because he was not afraid of the giant and also Noah as he was way out there ahead of his time.
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STW: Thank you for your time, it’s been a pleasure.
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