- An Article by Hepsi
Once you accept Jesus in your heart and are ‘born again’ you are saved, you have a ticket to heaven, but remember, your mind has to be renewed. It does not happen by default. So now, how do you renew your mind?
Let me share with you a few helpful tips to upgrade your new life in Christ. God wants us 100 percent. Not just 25%, 50%, 75% or even 99%, but 100 %! You can’t serve two masters. You please God or the world, not both. Your allegiance is to Jesus. A life of surrender, humility, and self-discipline becomes essential in your walk with Jesus.
In Romans 12 we read, ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ Romans 12: 1-2 NIV.
Transformation begins when we listen and obey God. Reading God’s Word daily renews your mind. Our hearts are changed when we commit to following God’s word and submit to his guidance in our lives. Reading the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John repeatedly has blessed me tremendously to understand the way of Jesus, his mission, and his purpose of coming to the earth. God speaks to us through his word, and also in many other ways when we live in close fellowship with him. It’s a commitment. An intimate relationship. Your relationship with Jesus is the single most important thing in your life and must be taken seriously. Your relationship with God will help all your earthly relationships. Therefore, getting to know the Savior is vital. It’s rewarding. We become loving, caring, and compassionate people. The hardness of the heart is replaced by a soft heart as Jesus dwells within.
God speaks in various ways. Sometimes, you may receive guidance through a Christian article or devotional, a friend, or in a dream. God spoke to his servants through dreams both in the old and the new testaments, guiding them to take the next step. When you are tuned in to God, you can hear God’s voice anywhere, even in nature, whether in the wind, a cool breeze, or in sighting a rainbow! Friend, God is speaking to you. Pay attention to the workings of God in your life.
Are you trying hard to overcome a bad habit? It’s not about trying hard to sin less. You need to depend upon God for help. You cannot do it on your own. Commit all matters to him and he will guide you. I do this. I find he has helped me every step of the way. You realize that you can trust God to lead you throughout your life journey. There will be mountains and valleys, but taking your matters to God in prayer, and staying in the word of God enables us to live as overcomers. Jesus overcame the world. We will overcome evil with good.
Meditate on specific passages of Scripture. For instance, I find Ephesians 6: 10-18 verses a vital passage to meditate on. I memorize the passage and whenever I need it, I pray through the passage. I also find reciting the Lord’s Prayer first thing in the morning, centers me.
God equips us for the work he has called us to do. Listen well. Be humble and teachable. Whether we are rich or poor, we are all the same before God and need to depend on him. Staying surrendered to God enables us to self-examine our lives regularly. When we are sensitive to God, we are sensitive to our fellow humans as well. We live in healthy relationships with the people around us. Am I being rude to my spouse? Did I just pass by someone who needed my help? Was that sermon meant for me? God will mold you by making you a useful vessel for him in a hurting world. It is a privilege to live a life following his will in a world of self-interest and greed. Following Jesus is the most fulfilling and satisfying life. There is nothing better than living life in God’s way.
The Psalmist writes,
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Psalm 84: 10 NIV
It is better to be in a humble place of service to God than a big position of power and fame in the world without Jesus. Just attending church every Sunday isn’t good enough. There is a lot more to the Christian walk and plenty to be discovered in Jesus. When you draw close to him, he will fill that vacuum in your life with deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We experience unspeakable joy in a personal relationship with Jesus. When you find out God’s purpose for your life, each new day brings hope and expectation. ‘The joy of the Lord’ gives us supernatural energy.
Make Healthy Choices
Cut off anything that leads you astray. Stay close to God. That app on your phone, smoking, or a friendship that leads you away from God - break it off. If your thought life is attacked, resist it by feeding on the word of God. The word of God is the ‘sword of the spirit.’ The Word on your lips and in your heart works wonders to keep the enemy away. You can wield it like a knife when the devil attacks you. When you say, ‘sin has lost its dominion over me’ or ‘Jesus is my shield’, and ‘the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?’ watch those negative thoughts and fear flee! Walk by faith, not by your feelings. Walk by what you know. What do you know? You know the word of God, right? You know you are, ‘the beloved of the Lord’, ‘a child of the light’, ‘you are more than conquerors,’ speak it, and watch it work.
If you know the Word, you are good to go. By speaking God’s word, you tie the enemy in knots and break off his influence on you. As an overcomer in Christ say,
‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Philippians 4:13. NKJV. Jesus who loves us so much has purchased us with His precious blood and has conquered death and Satan. Jesus enables us by his Spirit within us to live the life of an overcomer. Therefore, renew and program your mind for victory by meditating on the promises of God. Build your faith and strengthen your walk with Jesus. You walk no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. Jesus is the light of the world. Discover the amazing life of a child of the Light.
God bless you!
(Posted June 2021)
Romans Chapter 12
Also
2 Corinthians 5: 17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Why do we need to put on the armor of God?
Simply put, because we cannot rely on our own strength to resist the lies and taunts of the enemy. Whether you are suffering from depression, an addiction, paralyzed by fear, suffer low self-esteem or living in plain frustration or any other problem. We all have some problem or other. You need the armor of God. Yes, we all do. Read the passage below. Meditate on it over and over. The Holy Spirit would open your mind to the truth found in it.
The armor of God is not manufactured by human hands. It is supernatural, it is God's armor. We need to wear the armor of God for protection against the attacks of the enemy. There are two voices in our lives. The voice of the Accuser and the voice of the Intercessor, that is Jesus Christ. The accuser or the enemy of our souls bombards us each day with lies. Therefore, we need God's armor to stay strong and stable.
For example, you hear words like, " You are not good enough," or "You have ruined your life," "There is no hope for you," "Nobody cares for you," "You are all messed up," so on. Do recognize it as the voice of the accuser, it is a loud voice.
You also have another voice over your life. A still small voice. Pay close attention. It is the voice of the Intercessor, Jesus Christ, who is known as the great High Priest because he intercedes for us before God the Father. Jesus says, "I love you," "Come to me weary one, I will give you rest," "Fear not for I am with you," and " ask and you will receive." He addresses us with words of endearment, 'children of God,' 'precious treasure,' ' beloved,' 'a chosen people,' etc.
Read the passage given below and meditate on it. God has not planned any defeats for you, only victory. Find out and walk in a hundred percent victory today and every day!
More to come on the armor of God!
Meditating on the above passage is like wearing a helmet when you ride a bike or a life jacket in the ocean. It helps your daily Christian walk. You might think you are not in the ministry, that you don’t need to go deep into spiritual matters, but you cannot be more wrong. If you are a believer of Jesus Christ, you will need spiritual armour every day. Yes. The enemy attacks you viciously with evil thoughts, fear, doubts, confusion, negativity and resentment. We try to fight in our own strength and become tired. Maybe you are trying hard to be a good Christian but find your mind constantly attacked. If you are trying to overcome an addiction or problem, you will find you cannot do it alone. We all need God’s help. We need God’s armour.
How does wearing God’s armour help you? Scripture says, ‘you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.’ The lies of the enemy will bounce off of God’s armour. Remember that you have the shield of faith lifted high! “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” This is vital. Mark 11:22 (KJV). The Lord himself told his disciples to have faith in God always.
The ‘Sword of the Spirit’ is the Word of God, it means you know or have the word of God in your heart ready to resist the lies of the enemy. Whenever the enemy attacks, release your faith. For instance, if you are afraid of loneliness or lack of finances, remember God’s word, ‘Fear not, for I am with you,' Isaiah 41:10 and, ‘the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.’ Psalm 23:1.
As mentioned earlier the armour you are wearing is God’s armour, it is supernatural. What does this mean? Well, He is the living Christ. He is not in the manger or in the grave anymore. He has risen. He is sitting at the Right Hand of Almighty God. He is also in you by his Spirit.
Let me explain something here.
A man of God pointed out; all truth is parallel. What I mean here is that the Word has to be unpacked for you to benefit. For example, when a fresh pineapple is cut up, sliced and served, you enjoy it. It’s not easy to cut open a pineapple. Similarly, a jackfruit which is found in tropical places, is a rich and delicious fruit but quite difficult to cut open and eat. It requires an expert to peel the thick outer layer first. Once it’s cut open, you can enjoy the delicious goodness inside. Similarly, the Word of God is rich spiritual food, it needs to be unpacked and served, so you can benefit from it.
Since we are both physical and spiritual beings, we need to feed our spirit with God’s Word and depend on the power of God. We must rely on God’s power. Talk to God in prayer often. The apostle Paul says to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10.
When you surrender your life to Jesus by receiving Him as your Lord and Saviour, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in you. You enter a spiritual union with him. All power has been given to Jesus, the resurrected Lord. The Devil is defeated by the blood of Jesus. ‘The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.’ 1 John 3: 8.
And we know that God the Father is in Jesus, and Jesus is in you and you are in Him. Thus, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in you. This is powerful. As you go deeper into the Word, you will receive this revelation.
Paul told the Ephesian believers to “put on” or “be clothed” in the whole armour of God. In fact, he is saying “Be clothed in Jesus Christ.” This is meant for all Jesus’ followers. This means we are now in spiritual union with Christ; we are one with him. When we put on the armour of Christ, we stand before the enemy fully equipped in the stature of Jesus Christ. The enemy fears us because we are united to Christ. Jesus Christ is our whole armour. The Devil cannot penetrate God’s armour.
When we are clothed in Christ, we are righteous, speak the truth, have his faith, and we are saved. The Living Word abides in us. Now that we are clothed in Christ, we are able to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy. We can endure problems and temptations and emerge 100% victorious in Jesus Christ.
On being clothed with Christ, Paul says, we must put on the whole armour of God to be able to defend ourselves against the schemes of the Devil. Paul was quite familiar with the armour of the Roman soldier.
The armour we wear is God’s armour. Therefore, being clothed with Christ means the following:
Jesus is the truth. (John 14:6) Jesus is our righteousness. (1 Co 1:30; 2 Cor 5: 21) Jesus is our peace. (John 14: 27) Jesus is our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus is our Salvation. (Acts 4:12) Jesus is the Living Word. (John 1:1,14)
Prayer:
Father, today I wear the belt of truth, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, hold up high the shield of faith and use the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Posted June 2020
Ephesians 6:10-18 ( English Standard Version)
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
Psalm 91 [ A psalm of God's protection over your life - meditate on it ]
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Love: In the Christian tradition love (especially agape) is an expression of the essential nature of God, the perfect characterisation of the relationship between God and humans, and the supernatural virtue or character of God reflected in the Christian community in relation to God and one another as shaped by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This connection between love and God’s own character gives rise to the Christian focus on love as the fundamental characteristic of Christian discipleship and hence of Christian ethics.
Trinity: The Christian understanding of God as triune. Trinity means that the one divine nature is a unity of three persons and that God is revealed as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The ultimate basis for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity lies in the divine self-disclosure in Jesus, who as the Son revealed the Father and poured out the Holy Spirit.
Fall: The event in which Adam and Eve, the first humans, disobeyed the explicit command of God, thereby bringing sin and death onto the human race. As a consequence of the Fall, humans have become alienated from God, from one another and from the created order.
Salvation: A broad term referring to God’s activity on behalf of creation and especially humans in bringing all things to God’s intended goal. More specifically, salvation entails God’s deliverance of humans from the power and effects of sin and the Fall through the work of Jesus Christ so that creation in general and humans in particular can enjoy the fullness of life intended for what God has made.
Resurrection: The central, defining doctrine and claim of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom God brought forth from the dead. The resurrection of the dead refers to the promise based on the bodily resurrection of Jesus, that all believers will one day join Christ in the resurrection. Believers will be transformed, that is, renewed both morally and physically with “spritiual” bodies adapted for eternal life with God.
Redemption: The process by which sinful humans are “brought back” from the bondage of sin into relationship with God through grace by the “payment” of Jesus’ death. Redemption is one of the pictures or metaphors that the New Testament uses to give insight into God’s gracious saving work in Jesus.
Atonement: Atonement refers to God’s act of dealing with the primary problem, sin. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament affirm that sin has broken the relationship between God and humankind. According to Christian theology, God accomplished the way of restoration through Christ’s death. Some of the atonement theories include 1. Christ is the ransom that buys back sinners from Satan or gains the victory over evil. 2. Christ stood in the legal place of sinners, bearing the just punishment due us because we transgress God’s laws.
Revelation: Refers both to the process by which God discloses the divine nature and the mystery of the divine will and purpose to human beings, and to the corpus of truth disclosed. Revelation consists of both God’s activity in salvation history through word and deed, culminating in Jesus (who mediates and fulfils God’s self-revelation) and the ongoing activity of God to move people to yield to, accept and personally appropriate that reality.
Eternity: In the absolute sense, eternity is the realm in which there is no beginning and no end. As a term relative to the concept of time, eternity is what lies beyond time and is not constrained by time.
[Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms – Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling]
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[a] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:25-31 (NKJV)
Keep your eyes on Jesus. When Peter fixed his eyes on Jesus he could walk on the water! But when he took his eyes off him, he began to sink. Make an effort to take all matters to God daily in prayer. Focus on God's power and His righteousness. Lean on Jesus. Fixing your mind on Jesus will help you to walk in his power and provision.
Why do you need to fix your eyes on Jesus?
Jesus has the power to save you. He had conquered death and the Devil. He is mighty to save.
Besides, he is the great physician. He has the power to heal you of any sickness.
He is the Saviour who saves you from bondages many.
He is the Victorious Lord who has conquered the grave. If you place your faith and trust in him, he gives you abundant life on earth and eternal life in Heaven.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He gives us the peace that passes all understanding. The world cannot give this sort of peace. Only Jesus does.
In an ever-changing world, Jesus is constant. He never changes. He never fails. He has promised never to forsake or fail us. His word is powerful, it does not change.
Jesus is the Faithful One. He will protect and watch over you.
Jesus answers prayers. You can talk to him in prayer. Tell him your fears, worries and give your burdens to him. He is always listening. He will give you rest and peace that none can give.
Place your faith and trust in Jesus. He is the Rock of all ages. He is our strong tower. We are safe in him.
For Christ to be on the throne of our hearts requires putting him first above all else. Often the battle for our time crowds out our quiet moments with Christ, leaving us defenseless when trials and times of battle come upon us.
-Jill Briscoe
Where to Look in the Bible...
When you need rest and peace, read Matthew 11: 25-30.
When you worry; read Matthew 6: 19-34.
When you are lonely or fearful, read Psalm 23
When you need peace of mind, read John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-8
When men fail you, read Psalm 27.
When you grow bitter or critical, read 1 Corinthians 13.
When you have sinned, read Psalm 51; 1 John 1
When you are discouraged, read Psalm 34
When God seems far away, read Psalm 139
When the world seems bigger than God, read Psalm 90
When in sickness, read Psalm 41
When you feel sorrowful, read John 14; Psalm 46
When in danger, read Psalm 91
When you want courage, read Joshua 1: 1-9
When you need assurance, read Romans 8
When you forget your blessings, read Psalm 103
When looking for joy, read Colossians 3.
When you leave home to travel, read Psalm 121
When you think of investments, read Mark 10: 17-31
When you need guidelines for living, read Matthew 5-7; Romans 12.
When you need rules of conduct, read Exodus 20: 1-17
When you need to know God’s will for your life, read Proverbs 3:1-6.
By Hepsi
It is essential to know our identity. Scriptures reveal our true identity that we are created by God and deeply loved by him. There are Scripture verses to prove how special we are to God in both the Old and the New Testaments. Strengthen your spiritual core by meditating on these. Just as you strengthen your physical core with physical exercises, you need to strengthen your spiritual core with Scripture promises. All truth is parallel.
Old Testament:
You are Created in the Image of God
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1: 26,27.
You are the Beloved of the Lord
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.” Deuteronomy 33:12
New Testament
You are Loved by God
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19
You are Adopted as God’s Child
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:5
You are God’s Workmanship
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10.
You are Set Free
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”John 8:32
You are Victorious
...we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37
You are No Longer Condemned
...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8: 1,2.
You can have A New Beginning
...if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
-2 Corinthians 5:17.
What is Lectio Divina?
In Latin, Lectio Divina means “reading God”. In Lectio Divina, the individual meets God in Scripture. Through the tool, the individual gets to "know" God and enters a relationship with God just as you do with your friends. You also employ the four senses of sight, sound, taste, and touch.
Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate. First, a passage of Scripture is read, and then its meaning is reflected upon. This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God. Although Lectio Divina involves reading, it is more of listening to the inner message of the Scripture delivered through the Holy Spirit.
“Lectio Divina does not seek information or motivation, but communion with God. It does not treat Scripture as text to be studied, but as the "Living Word". In Lectio Divina, the mind and heart is illumined by the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who inspired the Scriptures."
"It's the most important prayer practice because it is through scripture that one personally enters into Christ through the life of Jesus, his teachings, his works, and his impact on others."
‘Lectio Divina is an appropriate way to read Scripture because God inspires these texts and there are many, many levels of meaning. Just as we have various physical senses so that we may perceive and receive reality, so Scripture has various senses to help readers understand the meaning of the text and reveal its encounter with God.’
-Mary Margaret Funk
Pick a day in a week to do Lectio Divina.
Choose a passage from the gospels or any Scripture passage. The leader reads the passage to the group three times. The leader gives the group a few minutes to think about the passage that has been read. The group takes down key words or phrases that have touched them. The individuals write a short reflection about what each thinks God is saying to them through the Scriptures.
It is a quiet and sacred time.
You could play soft instrumental music as individuals reflect and write down their meditations in their notebooks.
You might light a scented candle to set the mood.
It is a peaceful time where you feel closer to God.
Note: This is a great way to do a group Bible Study.
JC
16.07.2021 01:25
Very much enjoyed the article on renewing your mind, thank you for writing!
Latest comments
12.10 | 03:37
Thanks Pastor for the beautiful reflections. God bless you!
12.10 | 00:55
Thanks Hepsi for the beautiful Thanksgiving sermon and the reminder that God is loving, good and just. Blessings, Bill
09.09 | 03:57
Beautifully written Pastor. The quest to know one's purpose is the notion of 'teleology' belief in the purposeful development toward an end through "intentionality." A powerful hunger to discover God.
06.09 | 02:04
I really enjoyed your poem: First Love
Thank you!