Mended Institute

Morning Bliss: Exercise Your Soul_ Focal Scripture : Matthew 26:41 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'                                      Read:  Matthew 26:4 Our spirit is not our problem.  The born-again Christian receives a new spirit at conversion, that is just like Jesus' (1 Jn. 4:17) because it is the Spirit of Jesus. Our born-again spirit is always willing to do God's will.  It's our flesh that is the problem. The flesh, as Jesus describes it here, not only includes our physical body but also describes our soul.  God has given every believer everything it takes to walk in victory, but 'we have this treasure in earthen vessels' (2 Cor. 4:7).  That is saying that our spirit, where God has deposited all of His power and glory, is locked inside our flesh. That does not mean that we can...

Morning Bliss: You Have It All--in The Spirit_ Focal Scripture : Matthew 26:41 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'                                      Read: Matthew 26:41 The Bible presents salvation as a life transforming experience.  Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a true believer.  Yet, failure to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first, and then is reflected in our outward appearance through our thoughts and actions in direct proportion to the way we renew our minds, causes much confusion. This change has to take place in our born-again spirit first.  Why is that? If you were fat before you got saved, you will be fat after you get saved, unless you go on a weight loss program.  Your body doesn't instantly change and neither does your soul or mind...

Morning Bliss: Choose To Focus On All That Is Good _ Focal Scripture : Mark 14:38 'Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.'                                      Read: Mark 14:38 Temptation is linked directly to what we think upon (Heb. 11:15).  Temptation has to be entered into. We can avoid temptation by avoiding thoughts that generate temptation (Prov. 23:7) .  Since it is impossible to not think, we cannot just try to reject the negative thoughts in this world, but we must choose to think on the positive truths of God. This is where prayer comes in. In prayer, we have our minds stayed upon God and therefore, are not receptive to thoughts that conceive temptation.  Temptation or sin must be conceived (Jas. 1:14-15). In the physical realm, the easiest way to avoid an unwanted birth is to avoid conception...

Morning Bliss: His Fathomless Pain _ Focal Scripture : Luke 22:44 'And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.'                                      Read: Luke 22:43-44 It is interesting that Luke is the only one of the gospel writers to mention that Jesus' sweat was as great drops of blood.  This is probably because Luke was a physician (Col. 4:14) , and therefore, this had special significance to him. There have been documented cases of people actually sweating drops of blood under extreme emotional pressure.  This might explain why Luke is the only writer to mention the angel strengthening Jesus.  Just as when Jesus encountered Satan during His forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness and the angels ministered unto Him (Mk. 1:13 ), so here, He needed supernatural stren...

Morning Bliss: He Is Our 'abba' _ Focal Scripture : Mark 14:36 'And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.'                                      Read: Mark 14:36 Although God was referred to as our Father in the Old Testament, Jesus' frequent use of this title brought a whole new understanding of our relationship with God.  Jesus referred to God as His Father, and He spoke of God as being our Father as well.  This infuriated the religious Jews of Jesus' day who considered it blasphemy to call God their Father, because they understood that to mean they were equal with God. We are instructed to call God our Father, revealing the kind, gentle, loving nature of our God.  The term 'Abba' is an affectionate term that a young child calls his father, which corresponds to our term...

Morning Bliss: Seek The Will Of God _ Focal Scripture : Luke 22:42 'Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.'                                      Read: Luke 22:41-42 Jesus knew it was the Father's will for Him to be made an offering for the sins of the world.  This is true because He prophesied His death and resurrection many times before.  However, because of His unique relationship with God, Jesus was asking God to accomplish His will some other way, but at the same time affirming His commitment to do His Father's will and not His own. He was not at a loss to know God's will and therefore, left this time of prayer trusting that whatever the Father deemed best for Him would happen. He knew, when He began praying what the Father's will was and He knew at the close of His prayer, that God's will could not b...

Morning Bliss: Fill Up With God _ Focal Scripture : John 17:23 'I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.'                                      Read: John 17:23 God loves us the same as He loves Jesus. A true revelation of this will quicken our faith and allow us to walk in the fullness of God.  God's love is the key that opens the door to everything that God is. 'God is love' (1 Jn. 4:8). God's love is not one dimensional. There is width, length, depth and height to it, which can only be comprehended through the revelation and knowledge of the Holy Spirit.  Those who only have a superficial knowledge of God's love are like a person who looks at a one dimensional picture of the real thing. In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays for us to know the love of God which...

Morning Bliss: One In Spirit _ Focal Scripture : John 17:21 'That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.'                                      Read: John 17:21 Jesus is praying for all believers to be one as He and the Father are one. This goes far beyond what many promote as unity today.  Paul besought the Corinthians to 'all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment' (1 Cor. 1:10) . This is God's standard of unity. This oneness among believers is what Jesus said would cause the world to know that Jesus is the Son of God.  This is the greatest tool for evangelism that the church has.  The only way that Christ's body will be one as the Father and Jesus are ...