The Renewal of Your Mind..Craig Denison Ministries

 The Renewal of Your Mind

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the best aspects of spending time alone with God is being renewed daily by his word and presence. When we make space for God in our lives, especially at the beginning of the day, he is faithful to renew and prepare us for all we will face out in the world. Scripture says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Where do you need renewal? How greatly do you need God’s mercies in your life? He has a plan this week to both teach and guide you into an encounter with him that will renew you with his overwhelming goodness and love. Make space for God. Make time to encounter him. And experience the refreshing spring rain he longs to bring to heal the dry and weary places of your heart.

Scripture:“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Devotional:    

The mind is the vehicle in which thoughts and ideas become emotions, beliefs, and actions. You hear things every day that attempt to influence the way you see yourself and your life. Advertising tells you that you are constantly in need of something bigger and better to be happy. People tell you who you are and what you should do based only on their limited perspectives. You also have a very real enemy who hates you, working to convince you that you aren’t worth love, you’re good at nothing, and you’ll never amount to anything. But God, because of his incredible love for you, has given you the Holy Spirit and his word. He’s given you the ability to renew your mind to the truth of how he sees you and feels about you, the truth of who you really are. Every day, you have the chance to experience the much needed renewal of your emotions, perspectives, and beliefs. Every day, God longs to speak the truth of your identity through his word and Spirit. So, let’s look today at the power of renewing our minds and how we can consistently experience that renewal.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” When we renew our minds we are presenting ourselves as worship to God. You worship God when you choose to believe his word over others’ words. You love God when you trust him over your feelings and limited perspective. And when you renew your mind, you are conforming no longer to the world, with its destruction and many lies. God puts conforming to the lies of the world and renewing your mind to the truth in stark contrast.

Romans 8:5-6 further illustrates the point: “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” When you set your mind on the Spirit, you will begin to experience life in your thoughts. Your way of thinking will be transformed from being negative and destructive to positive and responsive to God’s boundless love and grace. What you choose to trust and believe will impact every area of your life for either good or bad.

So in light of the incredible promises of God’s word, how can you experience the fruit of renewing your mind? How can you continually set your mind on the things of the Spirit? First, you have to make time to open your mind and heart to Scripture every day. The best time to experience renewal in your mind is when you first wake up. Every morning, you can lay the foundation for what you will believe and how you will think for the rest of the day.

Second, you have to read Scripture while listening to the Holy Spirit. Scripture will come alive when you spend time reading it with the guidance and teaching of the Spirit. In John 14:16-17 Jesus says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” Spend time allowing your Helper, the Spirit of truth, to reveal the ways in which he desires to apply Scripture to your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your Teacher as your read.

Third, you have to live in obedience to God’s word.The Bible isn’t merely historical, but a book full of practical and applicable truth that has the ability to change your life. When you open your heart to God’s word and choose to believe it, you will experience transformation. When you obey God’s commands, they will bear incredible fruit in your life. God’s word is meant to direct you to the abundant life he has planned for you. Have faith in the words of Scripture. Choose to believe God’s promises.

Last, you must see yourself in light of God’s word. You have the choice to believe God or not. The Bible says incredible things about your identity in Christ: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Bible says that you are God’s child, that you are worth the death of Christ and that you are free from the bondage of sin and the world. Those are powerful promises. But in order for you to experience the fullness of what Scripture says, you must renew your way of thinking to be like God’s. Paul says that “we have the mind of Christ” as people born of the Spirit(1 Corinthians 2:16). So set your mind every day on the things of God. Read Scripture with the help of the Spirit, walk in obedience to God’s word, and see yourself as God does. If you will do these things daily, your entire outlook on life will be one of contentment, joy, purpose, and abundance.

Where do you need to renew your mind today? What area of your life seems to be plagued by negativity, insecurity, or anger? Spend time reading God’s word with the Holy Spirit. Receive revelation from the very God who authored the word you’re reading. Meditate on the words that stand out to you, and allow them to change the way you think, feel, and act. Experience renewal today in your way of thinking, and watch as renewing your mind changes your entire day for the better. 

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the power of renewing your mind.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3

2. Reflect on your own life. Where do you need renewal today? What thoughts seem to plague you? Where do you normally feel negative, insecure, or angry?

3. Meditate on a passage of Scripture that seems pertinent to an area of your thinking that needs renewal. Do a web search on a specific topic if you need to. If you’re struggling with a particular sin, meditate on Scripture about freedom. If you struggle with your speech, meditate on a passage about taming the tongue. Wherever you need renewal today, God has a plan to help you.           

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6

“Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:10

How great is the love of God that he would give us the incredible gift of his word to mold and shape us! Your heavenly Father loves you too much to let you stay where you are. Every day he has a plan to lead you into more and more abundant life. When you wake up, take a minute to ask yourself what you want your day to be like. What sort of life do you want to live today? Then ask the Spirit to help you renew your mind to God’s truth so you can live that life. Walk in freedom today. Live with your mind set on the Spirit. And experience the incredible life God has planned for you as his child. You’ll never have a better day than one where your mind is renewed to the truth of God’s unfathomable love.

Extended Reading: Romans 8

I Was a Match..BINU SAMUEL

 I Was a Match

BINU SAMUEL 

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)

Over a decade ago, my friend organized a bone-marrow registry drive to help save the life of her friend’s son.

This sweet little boy had been diagnosed with cancer and was in need of a bone-marrow transplant. His parents desperately needed to find a bone-marrow “match.”

As soon as my friend was informed that the chances of finding a match might be higher if the donor was from the same ethnic community, she made some calls and quickly put together the drive. At this event, participants would donate blood, which would be analyzed and matched to recipients in need of a bone-marrow transplant. Our community came out by the hundreds in full support.

Months later, I received a letter.

Though I wasn’t a match for my friend's little boy, I was a possible match for a 14-year-old boy living in another state. “Would you be willing to move forward with this match?” the letter asked.

“Moving forward” meant more bloodwork, and if I was an exact match, it meant surgery — not just for the teenage boy but for me too. It also meant a possible six-week recovery from that surgery … and of course there were risks involved.

At the time all of this transpired, my young children were preschool-aged. What if I had complications from the surgery? What if the risks became a reality?

I was all-in when it was a community event. Now that things were getting personal, I wasn’t sure I was ready.

But after some prayer and wise counsel, my husband and I decided it was important that I move forward. So I gave my “yes” to the blood center, and God gave me peace. If this was successful, the benefits for this young boy would far outweigh my own little risks! It was a chance I was willing to take.

Second Corinthians 4:7 tells us, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

Friends, as imperfect and inadequate as we might feel at times, if we have Christ in us, we have a treasure inside of us — a treasure this world desperately needs! We are a spiritual “match” to countless lost and dying souls around us.

Are there risks involved in sharing the hope of Jesus with others? Absolutely!
Is sharing the gospel easy? Not always.
Can it be uncomfortable? Yes, for sure!

Effective ministry might involve transparency, getting personal and putting ourselves out there. But if we truly believe what we say we believe, how can we not share it?

A few months after moving forward with my bone-marrow matchup, I received another letter. The young man’s physician and family decided to go with a different treatment plan. All we could do then was pray for the young man and his family.

Saying “yes” and doing our part to help save a life (physically or spiritually) isn’t glamorous. It involves risks, inconvenience and being uncomfortable at times! On this side of eternity, we may not even see the fruit of everything we do.

Nonetheless, Scripture encourages us to say “yes” to whatever Jesus is asking each of us to do. We are a match to someone out there! We have what they need — the hope of the gospel.

It’s a chance I pray we are all willing to take. The benefits are always worth the risks!

Heavenly Father, thank You for those who have ministered to me and for the relationship I have with You because of their faithfulness. Give me eyes to see You and ears to hear Your voice so that I can now minister to those You have called me to minister to. Help me be faithful to Your call on my life. Please strengthen me so that I may serve You wholeheartedly. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

God Is at Work..Dr. Charles Stanley

 God Is at Work

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 5:16-19

Throughout the Bible, we observe God at work in people's lives. Sometimes He acts in dramatic fashion, as in parting the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to escape the Egyptian army. At other times it may appear as if He's not taking any action. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother needed His help, but Christ delayed before traveling to their home (John 11:3-6).

Our Father has given us the Holy Spirit to help us recognize His presence and handiwork. The Spirit cultivates spiritual discernment in us so we can understand when and where He's at work.

In addition to spiritual discernment, we must develop patience because the Lord operates according to His timetable, not ours. After being promised numerous descendants, Abrahan had to wait until he and Sarah were beyond childbearing years before she conceived. Impatience can cause us to take matters into our own hands and make mistakes.

The Lord's efforts can bring delight, as was the case when Hannah bore a child (1 Sam. 1:27-2:1). His plan can also lead through painful times, which was Joseph's experience. Before the Lord elevated him to a position of authority to help his family, Joseph was sold into slavery and unjustly imprisoned.

Jesus told the disciples that His Father was always at work and so was He. We will be encouraged and strengthened in our faith when we recognize the ways in which God is operating. These glimpses of His handiwork will motivate us to stay the course and help us maintain a godly perspective on life.

Face the Fire with Courage..Jessica Van Roekel

 Face the Fire with Courage

By Jessica Van Roekel

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." - Daniel 3:16-18, ESV

Have you ever faced an ultimatum where you knew that to answer according to your convictions meant you would stand alone? We stand at a crossroads and know a decision lies before us. Rejection is probable. This type of disregard hurts, but so does compromising our convictions. We need uncommon courage to follow God in a culture that leaves God behind. Can we be known as people of courage?

God calls us to throw off the things that hinder us and prevent us from growing in him. It’s like tossing aside our cumbersome winter coat when warmer temperatures arrive. Spiritually, it means we need to examine our hearts with the help of the Holy Spirit and then end the thoughts and behavior patterns that he reveals to us. Growing in Christ means examining our belief system with a biblical worldview and then aligning our hearts with his. This takes remarkable courage.

The Bible has many examples to inspire us to stand strong in the face of difficulties. The three Hebrew boys from the book of Daniel are some of the bravest. They had a choice: approve of worship to an idol and bow before it or reject it and face the fiery furnace. They chose the furnace. In their act of turning away instead of bowing low to the golden image, the king rejected them and ordered them to be killed.

I’ve chosen the idol of people’s opinions. Their positive opinion made me soar, and their negative opinion led me to the depths. Rejection can be a fire in our lives. It burns relationships till all that’s left are white hot coals. It turns our self-perception to ash and consumes how we view God. Rejection can feel like a blazing fire engulfing the good in our hearts.

We want to stand in the fire without getting burned, but we forget who is with us. We take our eyes off Jesus and place it on someone or something else. Yet Proverbs 29:25 says the fear of man is a snare and those who trust in the Lord are kept safe. A snare traps its prey to be killed later. Rejection traps us in the ever-revolving door of validation from others. When we fail to make God first place in our life, we lose the courage to stand in the fire without being consumed.

But we can say, God, you have first place in my life no matter what happens. I'm going to trust you with everything I have. I'm going to chase after your opinion. I'm going to find out what your word says. Then we can stand with courage as the Hebrew boys did. We can face the fiery flames of rejection knowing he is with us. He carries us and walks with us through it all. We emerge on the other side to give God all the glory.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
When you face a situation where you feel like rejection burns the landscape of your life, remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If you feel like you're in a fiery furnace, know this: God is with you. He carries you and walks next to you. God gives you the strength you need and asks you to fix your eyes on him. Look straight into his face, see his glory, make his opinion your number one pursuit, and you will gain the courage you need.

Further Reading:

• Daniel 3

Trust the God Who Sees Ahead of You..Lia Martin

 Trust the God Who Sees Ahead of You (Psalm 136:13)

By Lia Martin

Today’s Bible verse is Psalm 136:13 - Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.

Are you worried these days? Do you ever feel if you don’t save up, batten down, build defenses, or control every aspect of the outcome, that you’ll be swallowed in deep waters?

Fearing the future is understandable in a world terrorized by viruses, violence, and sin. In fact, generations of people throughout the history of the Bible were also fearful when enemies approached and situations were far less than preferable.

The shocking accounts of danger and destruction in God’s Word can cloud our vision of his deliverance. From the genesis of humanity, we’ve struggled against troubles, but we’re given the choice to seek (and believe) the One who knows the way through.

Walking through a painful passage of my life, I chose to seek answers in a nearby park that’s now one of my favorite places to find God. And since he met with me on this particular day, I’ve developed the hopeful habit of asking God to reveal himself on these solo walks. I can never predict if or how he will, but I’m sure I can trust He’s with me.

I want you to know, too, that as certain as the sun rises, God is communicating with you in ways he knows you prefer. In signals, sounds, or even scents made just for you.

And because he is a God who parts the Red Sea, calms a raging storm, rises in a pillar of cloud toward freedom, and will show us the entire circumference of the rainbow one day, I trust he will use nature to speak with me.

On this particular walk, I was asking him what he would have me know about my current situation. What would you say to me God, to keep my faith? Where are you in this? Will I survive?

To anyone who’s been “messaged” by a bluebird, or led by a butterfly, or drenched by rain in a drought, I get you. God made some of us to hear from the throat of a honeysuckle, or sense him in the earth of a deep-woods hike. And because God knows this about me, he met me here.

As I walked along a sloping hill of trees, the sky began darkening, and a summer wind churned. And then, he appeared.

Roughly ten or so steps ahead of me the leaves turned, waving, as if being pressed. I watched them press inward, just ahead of me, as I walked along. It continued as I walked along...always waving just ahead of me.

I turned around numerous times to confirm—and then delight in—this message. The leaves behind me lay silent. And rhythmically, as I trekked along, the arms of the trees waved joyfully only just ahead. God was showing me Isaiah 30:21 that day: this is the way, walk in it.

Even while a storm was brewing, he was with and ahead of me. Invisible in form, but visible in effect. The leaves behind me? Unshaken. The leaves I had yet to reach? Waving me forward.

As I came to the corner where the path rounded away from nature and toward the parking lot, I saw a tiny painted rock, just sitting there. My contacts were dry from the wind, and sticky from tears. I couldn’t see enough to read the swirls on the rock that looked like a signature. My straining eyes could only make out ‘Lorie.’

Once home, I removed my contacts and pulled close with uninhibited eyes to my little hand-painted treasure.

What did it say?

“Love me.”

I am without doubt that God sent a message to the brokenhearted that day to bind up my wounds. He said, follow me, because I know the way. Make no other gods before me. Love me, and I will lead you through all of this to the wonder only I see ahead.

Will you try this? Will you take some time to meet with God in nature, or wherever you feel his presence most? No matter how small the effect of his presence, you have the opportunity to be forever changed.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. – Deuteronomy 31:8

A Prayer for Joy..Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Joy

By Meg Bucher 

“Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.” Philippians 1:25 NLT

The joy of your faith. Paul is writing to a group of people dear to his heart. The Philippians befriended Paul, prayed for and helped him when he was in need. When debating which would be better, to die and meet Christ or live and preach Christ, Paul couldn’t choose! He chose joy over and over. No matter what the circumstance, Paul understood what it meant to find joy in Jesus. Joy isn’t the fleeting feeling of happiness but the rock-solid hope in Christ Jesus. And because he chose joy, Paul rejoiced! The apostle Jude wrote:

“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.” - Jude 3 NLT

Joy is worth fighting for! Though it cannot be taken from us who live in Christ Jesus, we surely do forget about it sometimes! Daily life can distract us from the joy we have in Jesus. Yet, Jude reminds us of the faith that God has entrusted to us. We are his holy people. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: 

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”  - 1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT

There will always be something or someone threatening to distract us from our joy. We must choose daily to fight the good fight of faith. To remember the joy we have in Jesus. 

Let's pray:

Father, 
You are pure joy, creating the heavens and the earth and all we see and know in Your goodness. Father God, we run into Your loving arms today, so incredibly thankful for joy. Thankful that joy isn’t the same as fleeting feelings of happiness. Thankful for Your faithfulness to create and implement joy in our hearts and lives. Thank You, God, for the joy we have in Jesus. We cling to it in our desperate days, God, as we cry out to You. And we cling to joy when we are rejoicing in gladness. Constant joy echos off the borders of our hearts because of You, God, and the compassion You have for us. The perfect love which You express towards us. We are so thankful for You. So thankful for joy. 

Solidify our faith more than ever before, God. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit in us through Christ Jesus, sharpen our senses to be on guard. Firm our stance in the faith. Develop courage and bravery in us which we cannot conjure on our own, to face trials and fight them …or to wait on You. We want Your will for our lives, God. Your good plan, which You promise for us. Your purposes, which You express through our lives, to Your glory. 

When we are weak God, give us strength. Make us strong in You, God, and mighty in Your power. Strength to be humble, gentle, meek, empathetic, and kind. Strength to have the depth of perception we need to see the people in our lives the way You see them, Father. Strength to pray for our enemies, for the people who have devastated us. Give us the strength to obediently forgive them, and place them in Your hands.

Anything which has, is, or will threaten our joy … in the name of Jesus, we pray it be eliminated, removed, and the slate wiped clean, God. Let nothing distract us from the joy we have in Jesus. Let us be amazing stewards of the faith You have entrusted us with. Help us to love the people in our lives, God. Help us to love them well, as You would love them. 
In Jesus’ Name,

Amen. 

 

Why Did an Angel Roll Away the Stone?.. Matthew Henry

 

Why Did an Angel Roll Away the Stone?

Matthew Henry

Quote of the Day

"'Dear Uticus, Our preacher said that Jesus swooned on the cross and then His disciples nursed Him to health. What do you think? Signed, Bewildered.'
'Dear Bewildered, Beat your preacher with a cat-o'-nine-tails thirty-nine times. Nail him to a cross. Hang him in the sun for six hours. Run a spear through his side, embalm him, and put him in an airless tomb for thirty-six hours and see what happens. Sincerely, Uticus.'"
~Greg Laurie (from "Could Jesus Have Survived the Crucifixion?")

Today's Answer

Why Did an Angel Roll Away the Stone?
Matthew Henry

The angels frequently attended our Lord Jesus: at His birth, in His temptation, in His agony. But upon the cross we find no angel attending him. When His Father forsook Him, the angels withdrew from Him, but now that He is resuming the glory he had before the foundation of the world, the angels of God worship him.

The angel came, rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. Our Lord Jesus could have rolled back the stone Himself by His own power, but He chose to have it done by an angel to signify that having undertaken to make satisfaction for our sin, He did not break prison, but had a fair and legal discharge, obtained from heaven. He did not break prison, but an officer was sent on purpose to roll away the stone and open the prison door, which would never have been done if He had not made a full satisfaction.

But being delivered for our offences, He was raised again for our justification. He died to pay our debt, and rose again to gain our acquittal. The stone of our sins was rolled to the door of the grave of our Lord Jesus (and we find the rolling of a great stone to signify the contracting of guilt - 1 Samuel 14:33), but to demonstrate that divine justice was satisfied, an angel was commissioned to roll back the stone. The angel did not raise Him from the dead, any more than those that took away the stone from Lazarus’s grave raised him, but by this he intimated the consent of Heaven to Christ's release, and the joy of Heaven in it.

The enemies of Christ had sealed the stone, since this was their hour, but all the powers of death and darkness are under the control of the God of light and life. An angel from heaven has power to break the seal and roll away the stone, though ever so great. Thus, the captives of the mighty are taken away.

The angel’s sitting upon the stone, after he had rolled it away, is very observable and shows a secure triumph over all the obstructions of Christ’s resurrection. There he sat, defying all the powers of hell to roll the stone to the grave again. The angel sat as a guard to the grave, having frightened away the enemies’ guard; he sat, expecting the women, and ready to give them an account of Jesus's resurrection.