FOOD FOR TEENS: THE ARTISTRY OF A BELIEVER

 

Hello beloved teens, I would like to take you on a journey but only on one condition, you must come with the paint and brush of your imagination. You must be ready to create pictures in your mind that you have never imagined.I know it sounds unconventional, almost unchristian-like but your ability to paint pictures with your mind through imaginations is one of the greatest tools God has given to a believer. Without it many a time believers will struggle with the reality of the word of God. 2^nd Corinthians 4:18, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: For the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

The above scripture tells us to “look at the things which are not seen.” How does one look at the things which are not physical? The eyes of your mind, your ability to paint a picture of the things that are not seen is the key to aligning your words with your belief (heart). The process of painting pictures of God’s word with your mind is what is called meditation that is why 1^st Timothy 4:15, “Meditate upon these things: give thyself wholly to them; that they profiting may appear to all. If God’s word does not go through the process of meditation in a man’s life, there is no way profiting will appear in that man’s life.

If you read through the New Testament, you always see references been made to the phrase “the kingdom.” This is not a fictitious place. It is real, as a matter of fact it is more real than the clothes you have on right now. This kingdom is for all those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. We have been translated into this kingdom according to Colossians 1:13. There are new rules and standards for everyone who live in this kingdom. A man starts living in this kingdom the day they get born again, so you don’t have to die physically before you begin to live in this kingdom. Every believer belongs to that kingdom and as we speak, every believer lives directly from that kingdom. That kingdom is running concurrently with this earthly realm. It has no end, it is usually referred to as the spirit realm. Jesus stood before Pilate and here is the conversation that ensued between them. John 18:33, “Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus and said unto him. Art thou the king of the Jew?” John 18:36-37, Jesus answered; My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” Pilate there said unto Him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered; thou sayest I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause come I into this world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. 

Jesus Christ stood before Pilate knowing that acknowledging the fact that He is a king would cost Him His life but He boldly spoke about a kingdom that is not seen, without fearing this truth. How did He get to that point, where this kingdom, this alternate reality that can’t be seen with the optical eyes became so real to Jesus that even when He was staring at death in the face His confession did not waver? Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do they will, O God.” This was the secret, Jesus Christ discovered His reality through the Holy book of the scriptures, He saw that which was written concerning Him and He meditated it, He gave Himself completely to it. He so knew He was in the spirit that living on the earth was just so easy, it was like He had the complete blueprint of His life on Earth, this was why he could ride into Jerusalem as a king, the reality of the kingdom will always swallow our present reality because it is eternal (2^nd Corinthians 4:18). When He came He didn’t look like a king in the flesh but He sure knew He was, and today you and I worship Him as the King that He is, all over the world billions of people call Him king.

The reason why a lot of us struggle with our kingdom reality is because we do not spend time painting the scriptures into our minds, therefore we read and study the scriptures but as soon as we turn away we forget but the man who has the picture of his reality in the kingdom and continue to look at it, will find it easy to do that which is engraved in his mind’s eye. Paul went ahead in 2^nd Corinthians 5:1-4, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabarnacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” You see apostle Paul describing vividly spiritual things with full confidence; this comes first from deep meditation.2^nd Corinthians 5:6-7, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight.” What Apostle Paul meant in verse 7 is that we walk by picture created from the word of God not by our optical sight and these pictures are only made through deep study and meditation. 

Here is the reason why we need these images in our spiritual consciousness; For you to walk by faith, the word in your heart must be exactly in your mouth. If your heart doesn’t believe the words you speak with your mouth forget it, it is not in faith. For your words and your heart to align, you must take the words in scriptures, visualize them through meditation, and as you do this, the Spirit of the Lord will help create this picture by conforming scripture with more scriptures, and as you continue to look at this, a reality is built in your heart, and when you declare at that point, you don’t declare empty words but words that carry power because they come from the spirit. This is the kind of words that creates change; it is in this place of visualization where strength is birthed to do that which you see knowing of whom you have seen. This is how you create the kingdom of heaven here on earth.

God bless you, see you next month.