According to the Spirit

Kari Beougher

"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. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8

I am currently studying the book of Romans in my personal time with the Lord. One of the recurring themes I have continued to find is the connection between our thoughts and sinful actions. Over and over again, I am seeing that the battle for sin begins in the mind. When our minds are centered on the Gospel, there is life and peace and the ability to obey God's law. However, when our minds are focused on ourselves and on worldly things, we are living in the flesh and unable to please God. Setting our minds "on the things of the Spirit" begins with thinking rightly about who God is and agreeing with what God says about us. 

Today, may we take our thoughts captive in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) and focus our minds on Gospel truths. May we  "put to death the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13) by walking according to the Spirit.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." Colossians 3:2

Kari Beougher

It can be so difficult to train our thoughts toward godly and eternal things. In the midst of day to day life, it is easy to get caught up in the details and fail to let our minds dwell on heavenly things instead of earthly things. Jobs, relationships, finances, education- even seemingly good endeavors can fill our mind and distract us from keeping a proper perspective on who God is and what He has called us to do.

Romans 8:5-6 says, "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." 
When we focus solely on the realities of this life, it is overwhelming, discouraging, and ultimately, completely futile and displeasing to God. However, when we have a proper focus on who God is and live in the assurance of the hope of heaven, life is far less overwhelming.

When reading this verse, I think of Matthew 14 and Peter walking on the water to Jesus. When Peter had his focus on the Lord, he was able to trust the Lord and walk with confidence; the moment he focused on his circumstances, he was overwhelmed and unable to do what the Lord had asked of him. In the midst of the heartaches, confusion and disappointments of this life, we can have perfect peace when we have our minds set on the Spirit.

Today, may we purpose to set our minds on things above, not focusing on earthly things. May we "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" and "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." (Hebrews 12:2, 1 Corinthians 10:5).

Words

"So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11, NASB.

I wonder how many of my words have fallen on deaf ears. Maybe I really don't want to know the answer! I'm afraid that the reverse has been true also: I have not listened when someone was talking to me. Rarely was it on purpose, but often because my mind was racing in another direction.

Isaiah 55:11 reminds me that God's Word never returns void. I know there have been times I did not listen to the Lord. I am sure there have been days that I read the Word and did not take time to comprehend the message. Yet, God tells us that He always speaks through His Word, and that His Word will accomplish what He desires. God speaks through the Bible and He doesn't waste His Words.

When I share the Word with others, I can know that God is at work. Some may choose to try to close their ears, but God knows how to speak to the heart. The promise here is that when we share His Word (the Bible), He speaks through the Scriptures. In order to be the most effective, I need to just stay in the Word.

If you are wondering where to start, read the book of 1 John. This small book toward the end of the New Testament will help you know one of the most important things about listening: the assurance that you have listened to His call to your heart, to believe on Jesus and give Him your life.

Lord, give us ears to listen to You as we read Your Word. Give us your words to say as we share Your truth with others.

Throwing out the old: Prejudice

"A renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:11, New American Standard Bible).

The thing that I love most about spring is the new life that comes, even as you view a tree with lush leaves and flowers. The trees that once looked lifeless can come alive with the warmth that comes with the change of the season. God offers a similar renewal within us, when we believe in Him and turn to trust in His lead. He offers us this transformation that is breathtaking, as the old parts of us are shed and new life is given to us through Him and His work in us.

Prejudice can come in many forms, and in the verse above, we read it's not from God. Left unchecked, it can have destructive consequences in our community. It can tear at the perception of the value of the very marrow of a person.

What does the problem with prejudice mean for followers of Christ?

• God made people, and Genesis tells us "it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). God loves all people, regardless of their race, class, history, or personality. He sent Christ to die for our sins that come between our relationship with Him (1 Peter 3:18).
• During Jesus' time on earth, He showed us how to think beyond typical prejudices, as He reached out to and spent time with people from different cultures and backgrounds (Mark 2:13-17). He sacrificed His life for us and asked believers to tell the world about Him (Acts 1:8). He showed us God's love for us and for the world. 
• The Holy Spirit was given when Christ left the earth. The Spirit is God's presence that is with believers, and can help us remove our old ways, like our prejudices. We seek to live this life that follows Christ because He "is all, and in all" - He is our everything, our joy and our saving grace (Ephesians 1:22-23). 

God can help us see others from His perspective. In Christ, we have the opportunity to show how God's love looks past some things the world tends to focus on. Let us pray our minds, hearts, and actions reflect God's kind of love.

Lord, thanks for looking at all of us, right where we are, and loving us. Reveal to us any prejudices we may have hidden inside, forgive us for those and remove them from our minds. Help us see others through Your eyes. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from landscape-photo.net.

Lights, Camera...

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY'" (1 Peter 1:13-16).

Did you get to see any movies over the holiday break? I admire how much action and work happens before the making of a movie. God asks us to be prepared for action, too. However, what sort of action does God want us to do?

With Christ's work on the cross and the Holy Spirit's work within us, we are able to be obedient to God's lead. Will we follow it? Have we confessed our sins before our holy God? Will we let the Holy Spirit work in us and give us the power to follow Him? Christ came to earth to die in our place for our sins, but He also showed us how to live for God out of love for Him and for others.

As believers, we know that God is the source of light. We are given light from God that comes from being a part of His family and having the Spirit working in us. The camera is ready, as there is a world of people who don't know the Messiah yet. What is left? Action. Will we obey and follow God's lead, to live for Him and to reach a world in need?

Do you have the light? Do you see the camera? If yes, then let us move forward to action, following our Savior's footsteps.

Lord, thank You for helping us come to know You. Thank You for developing a relationship with us. Help us honor You in our resolutions and in this upcoming year. Guide us in how to bring Your light to the world through our actions. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.lovelyandcompany.co.uk.

Keep your head up

"Therefore if you have been raised up in Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:1-2, New American Standard Bible).

In a holiday rush, with flash sales, traffic, and other things asking for our attention, it can be easy to take our eyes off the Lord and begin to focus on other things more. In the verse above, we are called to set our hearts and minds on God.

How? One way to remember Him is to thank Him for who He is in the past, present, and future:

• Past - His Son's life that set a great example for us as well as His sacrifice for all mankind, and how we are offered forgiveness (Ephesians 2:1-7). This forgiveness we can receive as a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). 
• Present - His Word and how He can renew believers' minds through the Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 12:1-2). 
• Future - His faithfulness to carry out His holy purposes and promises (Numbers 23:19, Jeremiah 1:12, 2 Peter 1:1-8).

This reminded me of Peter's story, when Jesus asked Him to walk on water. You can read more of his story here. Lecrae refers to Peter's story in his song, "Walking on Water:"

"Let me show you my Supply, yeah you need to know Him

He got me walkin' on the water when the wind's blowin' 

And when the storm's brewin', and when the tide's high

That's when I lean into the truth that I abide by."

God Father, thank You for sending Jesus to free us and for inviting us into a repaired relationship with You. Help us remember and share who You are. Help us keep our focus on You. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo by Mike Specian from http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~mspecian. He has another website, http://www.mikespecian.com/.
You can hear the full song "Walking on Water" on YouTube here.

We pray that minds be opened

"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45, New American Standard Bible).

The look of worn out pages, the smell of years of storage, the way a story draws you in and won't let you go until the end - there is something I love about books. Yet, it is the story that sticks with me most. It can open my mind to another world, to another perspective I haven't seen, or to a truth I haven't remembered in a while. The beauty of the Bible is that it is God's story on how He came to save us, and it speaks truth to us about who God is.

A great story comes before the verse mentioned above, Luke 24:45, in Luke 24:13-35. Not long after Christ had been crucified on the cross, two men were traveling on foot to Emmaus. They were discussing the news they had heard, that Christ rose from the dead after His death and burial (vv. 14-24). On their journey, Jesus came alongside them and started to talk with them. I assume they were probably baffled as Jesus started explaining how the prophecies from the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ to prove that He was the Messiah (vv. 25-27, 31-32).

Today, let us pray for someone on our mind who does not yet see the truth in God's Word and what it says about Christ. We pray God brings clarity to an unbeliever so they can understand and have a relationship with our Savior King.

Lord, this person on our mind, please open their mind so they understand your Word. Help them see Christ as true, and help them hear Your call to be a part of Your salvation story.

"And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20, NASB).

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999)
Photo of Trinity Library in Dublin, Ireland from fromeuropewithlove.tumblr.com

We ask God to remove strongholds

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, New American Standard Bible).

War, weapons, power, destruction, fortresses, captivity - what sort of war is going on? At this point in Scripture, people were arguing with Christians about whether Christ is the Messiah, the One promised to come to earth to restore God's reign. Christ, indeed, came to save the world from being separated from God through their sin, while satan wishes people to feel trapped in sin and away from the Lord.

Paul tells the Corinthians that these thoughts that questioned Christ and God did not need to be countered by the way the world wages war. Instead, He encouraged Christians to trust in God's power. God wishes to fight for His people, to win them to Him. As believers wanting others to come to have a relationship with God, we trust in God's power because we believe it is the strongest. The power of the Holy Spirit is far greater than the power of the devil that seeks to put barriers between God's creations knowing and trusting in their Creator.

Is there someone on your mind who does not have a relationship with God? Let's pray for God to remove any strongholds that block them from having faith in our Lord and Savior. We hope they will trust in God, our God who renews minds and teaches truth.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999)
Photo from http://my-god-is.com/

Too Much Stuff

"And because they did not think it worthwhile to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong" (Romans 1:28, HCSB).

I have entered a new era in my life. I have gone from gathering to de-cluttering. As a young adult, I gathered things. I hung onto anything and everything just in case I might need it later. After watching my parents downsize (and going to many estate sales like the one shown in the photo), I have come to the conclusion that I do not want Kelli to have to go through my stuff when I graduate into heaven. Tell me, who needs so much stuff? While it may have meaning to me, it is only clutter that takes up valuable space.

Our minds are like this. We input all sort of things and we keep them...just in case. When we try to bring in some good things, there is hardly room because of all the things that keep crowding the new things out. Then it becomes hard to sort out the items of value from the junk. God calls on us to renew our minds. "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" (Romans 12:1-2, ESV). We begin this process of getting rid of the trash so that there is room for the things of God.

Yesterday, we had lunch with some dear, longtime friends. One of the ladies is a therapist (and oversees 30 therapists). We got on the discussion of a depraved mind and she gave us an example. When a homosexual performs the act, their brain literally changes and this can be seen on images (x-rays?). It makes them believe that what they are doing is okay. Their brains are being physically transformed for evil. Romans 1:28 in HCSV (above) calls it being given over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. Many versions call it a depraved mind.
 
As leaders who minister in a perverse culture, we must protect our minds. We must de-clutter and remove the junk and restore the things of value. Time spent with God to know the difference is the starting place.
 
Oh Lord, get the sin out of my life! Transform my mind today!