How to Be Transformed by the Renewing of Our Mind - Rom. 12:1-3
Illustration:Dr. J. Elder Cumming contended that "in almost every case the beginning of new blessing is a new revelation of the character of God--more beautiful, more wonderful, more precious."
J.O. Sanders, Enjoying Intimacy with God, Moody, p. 14.
1. RESURRENDER - Renewal begins by offering up our whole body, soul, mind and spirit to the Lord. It takes a conscious effort to present oneself to the Lord by disciplinging ourselves for godliness. Paul urges us to be present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Every day we are required to re-surrender, re-submit and realign our mind, will and emotions with the purposes of God. Set aside at least fifteen minutes every morning to worship, pray and read the Bible to allow the Lord speak to you about how He is worthy of your re-surrendering yourself to Him afresh every day.
Illustration:For those who think the coalition troops of Operation Desert Storm must have set some kind of record with their 100-hour ground assault against Iraq, the "record book" of history says otherwise. The shortest war on record was fought between Britain and Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) on August 27, 1896. The huge British fleet issued an ultimatum to the sultan of Zanzibar, then followed with 38 minutes of bombardment before the badly mismatched sultan surrendered!
Today in the Word, July 3, 1993.
2. REJOICE in the Lord always. (Neh. 8:10; Phil. 4:4) When we find our strength through the joy of the Lord He renews our desire to please Him in all respects. By delighting in the Lord He gives us the desires of our hearts. Regardless of our circumstances His joy is transcendent over all disappointments, difficulties and discouragements.
Illustration:This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
George Bernard Shaw quoted in: Jon Johnston, Courage - You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, SP Publications, 1990, p. 171.
3. REMEMBER the good things you have and are becoming in Christ. People who have forgotten the benefits of being in Christ are apt to slip back in to mediocrity and self-destructive tendencies.
Illustration:Sometimes we as Christians need to stop along life’s road and look back. Although it might have been winding and steep, we can see how God directed us by His faithfulness. Here’s how F.E. Marsh described what the Christian can see when he looks back:
The deliverances the Lord has wrought (Deut. 5:15).
The way He has led (Deut. 8:2)
The blessings He has bestowed (Deut. 32:7-12).
The victories He has won (Deut. ll:2-7).
The encouragements He has given (Josh. 23:14).
When we face difficulties, we sometimes forget God’s past faithfulness. We see only the detours and the dangerous path. But look back and you will also see the joy of victory, the challenge of the climb, and the presence of your traveling Companion who has promised never to leave you nor forsake you.
4. RECKON yourself as dead to old desires and be filled with the Spirit’s power, perspective and piloting. Too many people allow the old desires to be fed instead of feeding from the Spirit’s supernatural forces. We reckon when we take into account all of the resources available to us in Christ and learn how to appropriate them. Calculate all the benefits you have in Christ’s forgiveness, hope, faith and love. Compare these benefits with the empty promises offered by fleshly desires. Jim Elliot said it best, "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
5. RECONSIDER all of the negative conditioning that has led you in the past and realize you are need to reprogram your thinking to what is excellent, good, honorable, right, true, and worthy of praise. Without an effort to reconsider how our faulty assumptions effect our decision making we will tend to operate under the same old destructive thought patterns.
6. REPLACE what is fleshly with what God’s word. Paul wrote, "Put away anger, jealousy, wrath, slander and clamor and put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other just as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Eph. 4:22-32) Learn how to replace whatever is prompted by fleshly tendencies with Spirit controlled scriptural principles. Let God’s word dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do, do it all in the name and the authority of Jesus." (Col. 3:16,17)
Illustration: Breathe life back into people with God’s word.
Cop Breathes Life Into Stricken Dog
Tue Jul 16, 9:53 AM ET
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (Reuters) - A police officer brought a stricken dog back to life by performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on her furry muzzle after she was hit by a car, the officer said on Monday.
Patrolman Thomas Richmond said Cinnamon the pit bull terrier was technically dead and her owner was "hysterical" when he arrived at the scene of the accident last Wednesday.
"She had been hit in the chest area. All four of her legs went out and her heart was not beating. She was dead," the officer told Reuters.
Richmond, who owns a dog himself, immediately started to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the lifeless pooch, alternately pressing on her chest and breathing into her muzzle.
"It took me seven or eight tries but to my amazement, she opened her eyes and started breathing," he said, adding that he then transported Cinnamon to a local animal hospital.
"She’s fine. She has some nerve damage but no broken bones. It’s a miracle," he said.
We need to teach, preach and exhort people with God’s word as it brings life back to those who are seemingly dead. Even if people are not attractive they still need the revival that God’s word brings to their souls.
7. REALIZE God’s will for your life is what is best in all situations. Many people think that they can discover the best pathways to follow on their own. By praying about everything we are apt to follow Paul’s advice and "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God and the peace of God that passes all comprehension will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6,7) Many people are not aware that God’s will is better than all our human ways, our human perspectives and our human patterns of response. A full realization of God’s will is only made possible through prayerful petitions that allow the Spirit of God to work in and through us by His power. Prayerful people are better able to perceive what God wants to bring to life through and in their relationships, activities and ministries.
8. RECONCILE with those who are in conflict with you by addressing them as brothers or sisters. Paul writes, "I beseech you therefore, brethren." Even though Pual was a great apostle, he humbly addresses mean, unkind and uncaring people as brethren. He expresses affection, concern and kindness to those who are least deserving of it. Bless those who persecute you and pray for those who try to do you harm. Be liberal in your love with expressions of thankfulness, warmth and support for their needs as far as it is possible.
9. RESIST the conformity to the world. Know that the greatest enemy to renewal is conformity to the patterns of the world with its lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and boastful pride of life. If people provoke us we are not to lose our cool head. We are not to be boastful, argumentative or rude when we are criticized. We are to not be devisive when we do not get our way. We are to not prematurely write people off because they do not measure up to our standards. The rule of the gospel is postive direction not the politically correct mentality of going along to get along.
10. RECONSIDER the effects that renewal brings in leading us to the will of God. We will be given greater clarity, hope and fulfillment through the will of God which is good, acceptable and perfect. People who are in the will of God are healthier, more blessed and able to make the best out of the most adverse situations. They are maximizing their contributions for eternity. They will be promoted to positions of great responsibility not only in this life but also in the one to come. (Luke 16:10-12) We will gain a greater sense of God’s favor and of those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. We will find ourselves living with greater love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. We will not fall into patterns of depression, anger or fear that our needs will not be met. We are overcomers with good rather than victims of what is evil.
11. RECHARGE your batteries with His grace. Paul writes, "For by the grace given to me I say to eveyone do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but think so as to have sound judgment as God has alloted to each of measure of faith." (Rom. 12;3) God infuses new energy, vitality and ideas in to our mind when we are renewed by His word, His Spirit and the fellowship of other believers. Do not think you can go very long on self-charging of your spiritual batteries. We need the recharging of God’s grace given through the edification, encouragement and enrichment of other members of Christ’s body and their spiritual gifts.
12. RETHINK the best ways that you synergize your spiritual gifts with others who can best complement your own. Sometimes we need to experiment before we can find the best fit with our spiritual gifts in fellowships, relationships and ministries where God can maximize our usefulness. Some jobs, people or ministries may fit you at one period in your life but there may be a need for a change. Ask the Lord to reassign you to places, people and ministries where you can have the best synergistic fit with your gifts and the spiritual gifts, perspectives and talents of others.
Conclusion:TRANSFORMATION
The motor home has allowed us to put all the conveniences of home on wheels. A camper no longer needs to contend with sleeping in a sleeping bag, cooking over a fire, or hauling water from a stream. Now he can park a fully equipped home on a cement slab in the midst of a few pine trees and hook up to a water line, a sewer line and electricity. One motor home I saw recently had a satellite dish attached on top. No more bother with dirt, no more smoke from the fire, no more drudgery of walking to the stream. Now it is possible to go camping and never have to go outside. We buy a motor home with the hope of seeing new places, of getting out into the world. Yet we deck it out with the same furnishings as in our living room. Thus nothing really changes. We may drive to a new place, set ourselves in new surrounding, but the newness goes unnoticed, for we’ve only carried along our old setting.
The adventure of new life in Christ begins when the comfortable patterns of the old life are left behind.
David Roher.
