THE PRESENCE OF MIND

The Reverend Mary discusses the importance of having a strong mind and the power of positive thinking. She emphasizes that our thoughts define us and that negativity leads to negativity. She also highlights the importance of hard work and obedience to God's will. The Reverend reminds listeners that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, and that through him, we can find salvation and eternal life. She shares the story of Saul's conversion to Paul as an example of how God can change our minds and transform us into powerful disciples. Ultimately, the Reverend encourages listeners to speak life and have faith in God's ability to heal and guide us. Good day to you, beautiful people. Hey, this is Reverend Mary coming to you once again, in the holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior from Along The Way Ministries. This ministry was given to me by our Heavenly Father August 14, 2006 and as a disciple of Christ, I am bound in the spirit of love and obedience to the will of God. Praise the Lord. To go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This scripture can be found in Matthew chapter 28, verse 19. Hello, hello, God bless and keep you. The word today is centered around the presence of mind. The presence of mind. If the mind is not strong, how can the body be strong? Scripture is from Matthew 4, 1. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God that covers obedience. You know, we have heard people say, speak life. Positive thinking people believe that so is a man thinking, then so is he. That comes from the book of Proverbs chapter 23, verse 7. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. In other words, our hearts will define us. Our hearts is where our true self is. And God said in his word that nobody knows the heart of man like he does. We've been taught or just said that negative equals negative, positive equals positive, nothing from nothing leaves nothing. Simple but true. The Bible tells us that if a man rise up early, start to plow his field, then plant seed, when he is done plowing, he will produce a fine harvest. But a lazy man will produce nothing. If you do not work, you do not eat. That's the word of God. The presence of mind, church, it is most vital. Let's walk toward this truth. The Bible also teaches us that Satan is the prince of the air. Be Christ-like in what you say. Because the prince of this lost world has perfect hearing it seems. Does not miss an opportunity to beat you down. He stands on the very outside of God's kingdom. Jesus Christ, our Savior, is life. As a matter of fact, he is the way, the truth, and the light. Hallelujah, praise God. That is the word of God for the people of God. You know, the world is shrouded in darkness. There is no truth. There is no life. It is the way to eternal damnation. It stands to reason. Jesus Christ, our Messiah, is the total opposite of all of that. He is the light of the world. No man cometh to the Father except by Christ. There is no other way, beautiful people. There is no other way. You will not find the truth in Satan's territory. Because it is his ambition to keep the lost in darkness. Just the opposite is of our risen Lord. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. The presence of man. You know, that phrase is the one that I want you to concentrate on for a moment. Bear with me, church. Bear with me, people. Think about the power of self-will, the power of determination, the power of survival. It is about finding strength. This is how you speak life and it comes back to you as God's grace, mercy, and love. God is good. You know, some of us have had some physical problems that need to be addressed. You can see all the doctors you want, all the specialists, money can buy. Won't do a world of good until you get spiritually in tune and sink, you know. You know, you got to make sure God is in it. Praise the Lord. You got to make sure God is in it. God's territory. Remember Arnold on different strokes? Were you talking about Willis? Well, here's what I'm talking about, people. You have to want to survive to overcome. You don't want to just breathe, you know. You want to breathe well. You don't want to just exist. You want to live. Praise the Lord. Well, it's a spiritual thing. You are not just flesh and blood. You are spirit. The physical is testimony. The physical is temporary, but the spirit is eternal. Let me share with you what the Holy Spirit gave me about the Apostle Paul and the reason why I'm coming to that part is because there's something really, really special, really, really special about that, that a lot of times pastors don't preach on. Okay. Before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, well, you know, he is a great example of spiritual conversion. In the beginning times of the building of the kingdom of Christ, God is still making disciples today in the name of Jesus our Lord. In the beginning times of the building of the kingdom of Christ, there was chaos in the world just like it is now. But, you know, God is still making disciples today in the name of Jesus our Lord. The world can't stop him. But how about this perspective? This is about Paul. This is about Paul. This is about Saul, excuse me, people, before he became, about Saul before he became Paul. Paul was a Jewish scholar. He knew the law fluently and lived by the law religiously, but he was focused on the law to the point of spiritual blindness. He did what so many people did in those days and were still doing it now, leaning on their own understanding. You know, Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus because he had an agenda. You know, we can always count on God to have a plan under any circumstances. He makes a way out of nowhere in a way that we don't see. We can't see it coming. And we find ourselves in awe always of how he rose, you know. You know, we can imagine some things. No doubt about it. But Jesus is always exceedingly above and beyond. Well, I tell you what the scripture that says is better than me is in the book of Ephesians. You know, when it comes to Saul, even though he was smart and highly intelligent, his flesh got in the way. And he himself thought that Jesus, the Messiah, was going to look at and be presented like the usual kings of the earth, you know. Saul did not reflect back on the Old Testament writing. When God spoke to Moses or when God spoke to Abraham. John 5, John 5th chapter, excuse me, 33rd verse through the 47th verse. If you believe Moses, you would believe me. For he wrote of me. You know, those words speak volumes, people. People, and you know, people miss Jesus. And he was right there in the flesh, the blood and the spirit, right there. Lord have mercy. God knew that Saul was overly zealous about the law. He believed wholeheartedly in the Old Testament law. He just knew in his heart that the people who called themselves Christians, disciples of Christ, were blasphemers. By the time that Saul and his co-conspirators started their reign of terror against God's people, Jesus had been crucified, laid to rest, risen, seen again, and ascended. He had left this world. God knew if my son speaks to this man who is on the road to Damascus, getting ready to continue carrying out his persecution because he feels justified. God felt so strongly about the faith that was in this man toward him that Jesus said, if I just talk to him from this holy place, if he hears my voice, I can just make him understand that he is fighting against God, his Lord, his Savior, the one whose things he is upholding in spirit and in truth. So to change from the wrong way of thinking to the correct presence of mind. See, the Lord knew he's upholding, this man, Saul, is upholding the old law because he doesn't believe that Jesus was actually ill. So God corrected his presence of mind. And to the correct presence of mind, then we can truly change things in God's perfect will, folks. Then Jesus began to talk to him, to reason with Saul. He had to blind him to make him see. But when the scales finally fell from Saul's eyes, he then came to realize, this is my love, this is the Messiah. God changed the man's name, his attitude, and gave him presence of mind. Hallelujah. He does the same for us right today. He is still doing that for us right today. He became Paul, the apostle, because he had truly seen Jesus, praise the Lord. God's faith in Paul, when he could see the truth, produced one of the greatest disciples that has ever walked this planet. Glory to God. Glory to God. Praise be unto God. God knew that Paul would take that same faith and zeal that the man, let me go back over that again in the way I'm saying that. God knew that Paul would take that same faith and zeal that the man used against the body of Christ, destroy it once he was no longer blind to the truth, and become the greatest fisher of men that the knowledge of Christ could produce. See what the presence of mind can do. Praise the Lord. People of God, you have a powerful anointing over you, over your lives. Speak life into the air. The enemy does not know what to do with that. Amen. He don't know what to do with that. Save yourself. Be strong. Encourage yourself and others. I got to get up. My heart is heavy. I got to give this to God. He is the only one who knows how I feel. He can do anything. He can heal my heart. He can bring my child in from the streets. He can make me able to walk again without pain. He can heal the body from cancer. Praise God. Hallelujah. He saved the soul from eternal damnation. He is able to make a young mother realize that she is carrying a real, a live, living, breathing human being worthy of life. He can give her presence of mind. Strong, spiritual, so that the body will heal. If the mind is not strong, how can the body be strong? Amen. Can you hear what the spirit is saying to you? Glory to God. Let's read from Corinthians chapter 1. Second Corinthians, people. The 20th chapter. Hold on. Let me get this right now. Chapter 1. Verse 20, 21, and 22. Okay, I got it now. All the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen. Until the glory of God by us. Now he which established us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God. Who has filled us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts. Hallelujah. Praise be unto God. Second Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 20 through 21. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God for he has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God. We're talking about our perfect savior here now. Praise God. Glory to God. Remember this. Remember this with me, people of God. And all who seek God's righteousness. All who want their life to change. Remember this. There are so many ungodly spirits on this earth, in this world. Hell-bent on destruction, on killing off God's creation. Listen, hear me out. There is only one somebody who is heaven-sent. Who is able to forgive, to save, and sustain life. Jesus is his name. Hallelujah. Keep the faith. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Stay in the word, people. Someone who thinks that they are right but is dead wrong and in a place of power is dangerous. Amen? Time to rebuke, beautiful people. Cast down in Jesus' name. The name that stands above all names. The Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior. The giver of life. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in all the earth. Everybody, under the sound of my voice, say amen. Amen.