Renewal of Conscience..Craig Denison Ministries

 Renewal of Conscience

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:“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22

Devotional:    

Our conscience is a window revealing how we view ourselves and, most importantly, our relationship with God. One of the worst effects sin has is distorting our view of ourselves in relation to God. The devil’s plan with sin was always to separate us from God, so Jesus came to the earth to destroy the power of sin in our lives. He came so that we might have restored relationship with our heavenly Father.But still sin persists. Even though the power of sin was broken, its effects destroyed, we often still live with an unclean conscience. We feel that God is angry with us, that he doesn’t want to be with us, or that we can’t come before him and sit at his feet. Your conscience affects your relationship with God either negatively or positively. It will either lead you to God’s throne room or away from his presence. Your heavenly Father’s desire today is that you would come to see yourself as he does, that your conscience would be wiped clean, and that sin and lies would separate you from him no longer.

Hebrews 10:19-23 contains an important truth for us today. Scripture says:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Let the truth of Scripture sink into your heart. Hebrews tells us that our confidence to come before God is found in the blood of Jesus. Through his death, Jesus paved the way for you to come before the throne of God with confidence and full assurance of faith. God’s desire today is that your conscience would be “sprinkled clean” with the powerful blood of your Savior.

So, let’s dive even deeper into how God sees us today. Let the truth of his word further mold your identity until it is perfectly aligned with his perspective. Galatians 3:26-28 says, “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 1 John 1:9 says,“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Romans 8:1 says,“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5 says,“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” And Colossians 1:21-22 says, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.”

Your heavenly Father sees you as he sees Jesus. Many Christians believe that while they are clothed with Christ, they’re still dirty and sinful on the inside. But don’t be deceived today. At salvation you were made completely new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” God didn’t trick himself with the death of Jesus. He sees you completely. And when he looks at you, he sees the blood of Jesus running through your veins. He sees you as his clean and holy child. Through the death of Jesus, you can see God with unveiled face. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 says, “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” You can see and know God freely and fully. In fact, that’s God’s greatest desire. He longs for us to know him. He longs for us to encounter the depth of his love and affections for us every day.

Sit at the feet of your loving heavenly Father with the knowledge that there is nothing in the way of you and him. Spend time with him allowing the truth of how he sees you to renew your conscience. May your conscience, renewed in him, lead you freely and consistently to the throne of God.     

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on your new identity in Christ.

“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

2. Reflect on your own conscience. How do you view yourself? Through what lens do you see your relationship with God? Is it one renewed by the blood of Jesus or one inconsistent with his word?

3. Allow God’s truth to clean your conscience today. Come before God boldly, and let him do a work in how you view your identity.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:19-23

Whenever you feel like something is in the way of you and God, take a minute to reflect on your conscience. Ask yourself, “Do I feel worthy to be with God? Is something leading me away from him instead of to him?” Ask the Spirit to renew your conscience in that moment. Spend a minute gaining God’s perspective. Confess whatever sin you committed to God, and allow his forgiveness to draw you near. Nothing could be more important than spending time with your heavenly Father with a clean conscience that you might experience the fullness of his affection for you. 

Extended Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-12

Where Ministry Begins..MEREDITH HOUSTON CARR

 Where Ministry Begins

MEREDITH HOUSTON CARR

“As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’” Mark 5:18-19 (NIV)

“Mom! I know what I want to be when I grow up!” My daughter’s eyes sparkled as she continued, “A famous YouTube star!”

I blinked a few times and tried to cover my surprise at her answer. “OK. Famous for what, exactly?”

“Who knows?! But I’ll have a million subscribers — and then I can tell them all about Jesus!” She skipped off, and I chuckled, relieved that Jesus factored into her YouTube plans.

Smiling, I thought of my own childhood desire for visibility. (Star Search, anyone?) I’d sit glued to the TV during awards shows, amazed and inspired when someone with a large platform spoke of their love for Jesus — and I imagined one day doing the same thing.

But that day, as I returned to the mountain of laundry before me, the persistent whisper of discouragement hit my heart. I couldn’t help but think of how far my quiet and simple life was from those youthful aspirations. Is my humble everyday life making any difference, God?

I wonder if you can relate to this doubt, especially considering our culture’s daily messaging: Be someone! Make something out of your life! Let them hear your voice! Bigger is better! We can begin to believe the lie that the one is somehow less important than the 1 million.

Maybe you long to share your testimony of healing and hope in your community or social media circles. But when you take stock of those circles, they can seem so small. As a result, you may feel insignificant and wonder: How can I possibly make a significant impact in my home, community or workplace? 

If you’ve ever struggled with feeling small, you’re not alone! In Mark 5, we read the incredible story of Jesus healing a man possessed by a legion (i.e., a lot!) of demons. After this miraculous healing, the town begged Jesus to leave — but the man He’d healed had a different request:

“As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you’” (Mark 5:18-19).

Had I been in this man’s shoes, I imagine I’d have made much the same request: “Take me with You, Jesus! Let’s leave this town and travel on to bigger and better things!”

Of course, Scripture doesn’t tell us Jesus’ thoughts or why He said no, but we do see Jesus express concern and care for this man’s most immediate ministry: his family and friends.

The man wasn’t told to share his testimony with the entire region or drum up a following of thousands. Instead, Jesus recognized the value of the souls right there in his town.

Happily, this man responded in obedience and “began to tell … how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed” (Mark 5:20, NIV).

While we don’t know if their amazement turned to faith, it’s not hard to imagine there are souls in heaven because of this man's willingness to testify.

Dear one, if you’re feeling small, let the truth of these scriptures remind you that your life and testimony matter! Your ministry begins right where you are: with those under your roof, down the street, in the cubicle next to you, or in the church pew beside you.

You don’t need a million subscribers or a megaphone to influence others with the love and truth of Jesus. Indeed, those God has placed in your circle matter deeply to Him — and He’s given you the incredible, humbling job of sharing your testimony with them!

Today, let’s step out boldly and proclaim His mercy and healing in our lives.

Jesus, thank You for Your healing and mercy. When our circles of influence feel small, remind us every soul matters to You. Help us live out the gospel message to those around us today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

True Spiritual Growth..Dr. Charles Stanley

 True Spiritual Growth

Dr. Charles Stanley

James 1:17-27

If you want to genuinely grow in spiritual maturity, it is not enough to simply be instructed by the Word of God. You may love going to church or listening to Christian radio programs. You might talk about everything you hear and assume you're growing because your knowledge is increasing. However, if you don't actually grow closer to God by allowing His Word to change you from the inside out, your head will merely continue to fill with information. You might even sound like a godly person who is admired for the ability to quote chapter and verse. But if you don't take the next step and allow God to touch others' lives through you, you're missing the point.

Spiritual growth is the result of practicing the truth you receive from God. He wants you to give away what He gives you--that is, by loving and serving others and sharing the truth of the gospel. Our example is Jesus, who said that He did not come to be served, but to serve even the lowest outcasts in His society (Matt. 20:28). He could have exalted Himself and spent all His time preaching and teaching. Instead, Jesus did only the Father's will, which was to reveal His heart of love to a broken world. The Lord sacrificially involved Himself in people's lives, and He calls us to follow in His footsteps.

God's plan is to reach the world through you. If that weren't the case, He would have taken you to heaven as soon as you were saved. But you are here for a purpose--to live out Christ's life alongside hurting people who desperately need to experience His love.

A Door to Hope..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Door to Hope

By Jessica Van Roekel

“There I will give her back her vineyards and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.” – Hosea 2:15

We wake up to a new day and hope and pray it is an easy day, but what happens when it brings troubles? We can wonder if blessings, hope, and God’s goodness are out of reach. And if we have too many days in a row that are the no good, awful, wish we hadn’t gotten up kind of day, we can wonder if hoping is worth the daily disappointment.

We think if we scoot through life with minimal trouble then our lives are blessed. We wrongly judge other people and ourselves by the number of troubles we face. Often, we determine our lack of obvious blessings justifies demanding good days more because we can’t see how troubles open the door to hope.

Hope is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it is a person, feeling, or thing. Hope as a verb means to look forward to something with reasonable confidence, to believe, desire, and trust. Hope sustains and gives life. It’s simultaneously tangible and out of reach.

When we use our circumstances as a litmus test for hope, we swing like a pendulum from hopeful to hopeless and back again. It can be exhausting and disheartening. If we look at our circumstances for hope, we miss out on the blessings our troubles teach us.

In this passage from Hosea, God planned to draw his people back to him. They had forgotten him once again and his mercy caused him to draw near to them. He did not run away from his people, the Israelites, but made a way to bring them back to him. He used their desert and troubles to open the door to hope in him.

The Israelites had lost their first love. The troubles of life, the temptations to do things their own way and to try and be like other people took them away from their love for God. We can relate. We know the rush of our first meeting with Jesus and God’s open arms to receive us. We revel in his love and love him back. But then the battle between our flesh and spirit begins. Our troubles remain. Worries take root.

We begin to look for our hope in the blessings God brings us, but hope is Jesus, a noun, and it’s trusting him, which is a verb. Hope takes us from despair to belief when we take our eyes off ourselves and our troubles. We fix our hope on God—who stays with us and guides us.

Our troubles can be a door to hope, and God can use them for our good. They become blessings because they become the catalyst that draw us nearer to God. Troubles can produce a humble heart because we cannot affect change in our own strength. Our personal valleys of Achor become doorways to hope because God gives us eyes to see him at work, and ears to hear his will, way, and voice.

Each new day is fresh with the promise of God’s presence. He offers hope, love, and joy. The greatest gift we can give ourselves today is to look at our valleys with fresh eyes. Our eyes can be opened to see God within the troubles, pointing the way through them, bringing peace within them, and creating beauty out of ashes.

Our greatest times of growth come from the valley where we feel the wind and drenching rain. At times, fire destroys everything in its path, but with the passage time, new growth appears and our hearts become a beautiful landscape of beautiful hope.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
When you allow God to lead you to valleys, they become a door to hope. Your day-to-day difficulties become the way to grow intimacy with God. Your hope blossoms in the face of small troubles and big ones. And then they become a testimony of God’s faithfulness where you can encourage others because you see them for what they were: the doorway through which your hope in God grew.

Further Reading:

• Hosea 2

Seek to Speak the Truth to Each Other..Lynette Kittle

 Seek to Speak the Truth to Each Other

by Lynette Kittle

"Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”—Acts 5:4

Do you ever find yourself “fudging” the truth in everyday life situations?

Perhaps you justify doing so because you believe you’re keeping the peace or sparing hurting someone’s feelings. Maybe in your opinion, you’re not really being dishonest or deceptive but rather managing conversations and situations for the best.

Possibly you leave out details because you don’t want people to know what’s really motivating your actions. Or maybe you only tell partial truth because you want someone to have a certain impression about you.

Yet Scripture is pretty straightforward in instructing Christians to “Speak the truth to each other” (Zechariah 8:16).

As well as Proverbs 22:21 urges you to be honest and speak the truth.

In Leviticus 19, God gave Moses’ guidelines for Israel to live by, including “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor (vs. 13).

Although many may not consider “fudging the truth” a form of defrauding, it’s robbing another of truth with an intention to be misleading.

A really severe example of the seriousness of defrauding is in Acts 5, where a couple named Ananias and Sapphira sold land and brought the money to give to the Apostles. Instead of saying they were keeping some of it for themselves, they mislead the group to believe they were giving the total amount received.

Act 5:2 describes how “With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

In today’s standards, it wouldn’t seem like a big deal but both were immediately struck dead and carried away from the scene (Acts 5:5-10).

Although today’s culture may not understand why this deadly incident occurred, Acts 5:4 explains why it was such a serious situation. “You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Still, with “fudging” so widespread in present-day culture, most believe there isn’t anything wrong in practicing it. Instead of seeing it as defrauding others and a sin against God, people rationalize its use.

As you go about your daily life, ask God to help you not to defraud those around you.

Ask Him to show you any areas where you may have failed and confess your sin to Him. Psalm 32:5 states how when you acknowledge your sin and you do not cover up your iniquity, God forgives and frees you from the guilt of it.

Choose today to speak the truth in all your dealings with others.

A Prayer to Hold Fast to God..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer to Hold Fast to God

By Tiffany Thibault

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.” - Psalm 91:14,15 (ESV)

You may have heard it said that the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. I must say that something was left out of that list. Difficulties, troubles, tough times, and really hard situations. It seems that not a day goes by when someone I know faces some sort of hard, some sort of difficult struggle. Whether small and irritating or absolutely devastating and life-changing, we all have many moments in our lives that drop us to our knees as we pour out our cries to the Lord. 

A few days ago, I heard someone speak words that sent me to the depths of despair. There seemed no hope in this medical diagnosis. I felt my heart drop, my thoughts began to spin, my breathing became shorter and shallower. Cries of no, and why swirled around my head as they crashed into the more focused thoughts of there must be another way through this, there has to be a solution! 

No matter what life throws at us, we can find strength in this Bible verse. These words from Psalm 91, penned so long ago, by a man who lived a life filled with many troubles, can fill our hearts with hope. The way through the darkness, the troubled times are found in the beauty of these words.

Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him. Know the Lord, seek to grow closer to Him, search to find Him in the pages of the Bible. Hold to the promises found in Scripture, make them a part of your every breath and He will deliver you in the midst of that fear of the diagnosis, the pain of your broken heart, the worry of your thoughts. 

I will protect him, because he knows my name. These powerful words are a reminder to us that we must know God. We must know the power of His name and understand His character. Each moment of our lives, whether filled with good or with pain, we must learn to know Him more, to cling to Him deeper, to pray to Him in sincerity and humility, and to fall more in love with Him. He is a good Father, and He will protect those who are His children. 

When he calls to me, I will answer him. When we call on Him, when we pray to Him, He will answer! When the answer comes, trust Him. Perhaps he doesn't answer in the way that you want but remind yourself that it's in the way that He deems best. He alone knows the future; He is God. 

I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him. He will rescue you and He will honor you. That honor could be fulfilled by answering your prayer in exactly the way that you want, or it could be that He honors you in some other way, in a way that glorifies Him as it brings you peace, a deeper understanding of who He is and an opportunity to become more like Jesus. No matter the news, the relationship struggles, the pain and turmoil that you are walking through, He promises that He will be with you in your trouble. 

So, in the midst of the unknowns and the ‘what next’ questions that flood your mind, turn your eyes back to Jesus. Rest in Him, trust Him. He promises to deliver you, protect you, answer you, be with you, rescue you and honor you. Those are the truths that you can know that you can focus on as you go into your next moments and into every situation that stands before you. He is God, and He is a good God who loves you, hears you and stays with you through every single breath of your life. Remind yourself that you are never alone in the midst of your troubles when you have the God who created everything and who loves you so incredibly right there by your side holding you through them. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, 
Thank you for these words of promise. You are a God who keeps your word. Be with me today as I cling to you in every one of my situations. Deliver me from the traps and lies of the enemy. Protect me from the fiery arrows that are falling down upon me. Answer me Lord when I call. Rescue me and honor me Lord as I cling to you, as I look to you, and as I love you with every cell in my body. May others see you through the way that you fulfill your promises in my life. 
In Your name, I pray, Amen

The Ultimate Lifesaver..Jim Liebelt

 The Ultimate Lifesaver

Jim Liebelt

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. —John 15:13

An article in Reader’s Digest described the actions of Dave Shoemaker, captain of the 180-foot fishing vessel, “Galaxy,” somewhere off Alaska’s St. Paul Island. The article read, “When a disastrous engine fire wreaked havoc for the Galaxy and its crew, Captain Shoemaker bravely walked through the smoke and flames with no protection but a bandanna around his mouth to radio for help. Shoemaker continued to put the lives of his crew first and worked to help them to safety despite incurring three broken ribs, extensive burns to his skin and the increasing chance of going down with the ship. Like a true captain, he made certain he was the last of the crew to be rescued by the Coast Guard, who arrived thanks to his initial Mayday call. The Galaxy was completely lost, but thanks in great part to Shoemaker's courage under fire, 21 of the 25 crew members survived.” Captain Shoemaker, a modern day hero, put his own life on the line in order to save the life of his crewmembers.

Let’s reflect on our ultimate lifesaver, the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember that he willingly suffered, bled and died—taking our own sin and shame on Himself as He hung on a cross— that we might be saved from an eternity of separation from God. In his resurrection from the grave, Jesus broke the power of sin and death—and guaranteed rescue—to anyone who believes in Him. He is our most shining example of heroism in action.

Yet, the story doesn’t end here. We, in fact, are destined to become part of the story. For Jesus calls all of us who have experienced His rescue to become part of his rescue team—to act heroically, willingly putting our lives on the line—in order to help rescue others. “Snatch others from the fire and save them,” is how the New Testament book of Jude puts it. It’s a simple act of gratitude for we who have been given a lifeline, to share a lifeline with someone else.

Today, offer a prayer of thanks to Jesus, our ultimate lifesaver and consider someone around you with whom you can share your own Easter story of rescue. You never know. In doing so, you just might “snatch someone from the fire.”

GOING DEEPER:

1. Who had the courage to share the news of Jesus' resurrection with you? Pray and thank God for using this person in your life. If possible, thank them personally for being willing to be used by God in your life.

2. In your circle of relationships, who might benefit from hearing your story of God’s rescue in your life? Will you commit to sharing your story with this person in the coming week?

FURTHER READING:

John 10:11-18; Luke 9:23-26; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21