GraceCreates

By Jon Walker

“Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.’” Matthew 16:23 (NLT)

Jesus says we should think like He thinks – with a heavenly perspective above and beyond mere human thinking.

This doesn’t mean we become mindless robots; rather, our thoughts should begin to match the thoughts of God as His Spirit works within us, helping us to look at people and circumstances from his perspective: “From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him like that.” (2 Corinthians 5:16, HCSB)

We set our minds on the things of God and abandon self-absorbed thinking: “Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2, HCSB)

Thinking like God means –

• We trust His guidance and no longer rely on our own understanding.
• We allow God to interpret the facts, since He knows the whole truth.
• We measure our thoughts against God’s Word and God’s character.
• We take ungodly thoughts captive and bring them before King Jesus.

We can’t change the way we think without His help. We must allow Him to renew our minds, acknowledging our need for His help as we bring our thoughts in line with His. We allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts so God can guide us toward what to say and what to do.

This is why obedience and trust are such an important aspect of loving God. He wants us to dance in perfect step with Him – so much so that our heart, soul, strength, and mind will keep perfect time with His own steps. God is calling us to love Him with everything we’ve got in order for us to become like Christ, Who first loved us, wholly and fully.

What does this mean?

• Ask, “What would Jesus think?” – If you want to develop the mind of Christ, you need to begin thinking like Jesus. His thoughts were focused on the Father; He was in constant conversation with the Father. Jesus was self-forgetful, thinking more of others than Himself.
• Jesus understands your struggle – Jesus told Peter, “… You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23, NLT) If seeing things from a human point of view, rather than God’s point of view, is a dangerous trap for Jesus, how much more is it a dangerous place for us to be? But, this also means Jesus understands your struggle to get your eyes on the things above.
• Question to consider: What thoughts roam your mind that you already know should be taken captive for Christ? Ask Jesus to help you “round them up,” so you can place them at His feet.
• Be encouraged – Jesus confronts Peter about his way of thinking, not to condemn him, but to teach Him the ways of God. God knows you can’t do this alone and that is why He’s placed the Holy Spirit within you to transform your mind into the mind of Christ.

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

“And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News to them, too. As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he did, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.” Acts 8:25b–28 (NLT)

There is an old joke among journalists about a beginning reporter sent to do a story about a town meeting. He comes back a few hours later with sooty smudges on his face, and he tells his editor that there’s nothing to report about the meeting.

The editor asks why, and the young reporter says the meeting never took place because the town hall burned to the ground. And wiping the soot from his face, he says, “Some of us barely got out with our lives!”

He’d missed a story far more important than the town meeting because he didn’t yet understand the need for a reporter to be flexible. Journalists must be willing to drop everything they’re doing at a moment’s notice in order to chase after a new story that comes with a higher priority.

As Jesus-people, we need to develop a similar flexibility. We can plan and prepare, but when God tells us to head in a different direction, we should set aside our agenda and join God where He’s calling us to work.

In the case of Philip, he was on the way back to Jerusalem with some of the other disciples, and every town they stopped in along the way, people were coming to know Jesus. But God told Philip to take a different route, and in his obedience, he found God already working within the treasurer of Ethiopia.

What does this mean?

• Plan, prepare, but remain flexible – When God disrupts your plans, His agenda takes priority over your own. Ask God to give you discernment in these moments and to help you develop obedience. Thank God for His patience because He knows you’re learning and growing.
• Flexibility is part of growing into Christlikeness – “Then Jesus replied, ‘I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works than these so that you will be amazed.” (John 5:19–20, HCSB)
• The Holy Spirit will teach this flexibility – Working from inside of you, the Holy Spirit will guide you as you move forward in faithful flexibility. “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” (John 16:13, HCSB)
• Be encouraged – God is for you, not against you.

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:13 (NKJV)

He cradled the roses in his left arm like a running back carries a football (U.S.). He debated with himself over which would be best: a solitary rose or a dozen roses wrapped with baby’s breath. He went for the dozen, thinking the more, the better when you’re trying to tip the scales back toward the “nice guy” side.

So he carried 12 deep-red roses just on the edge of a beautiful bloom. They’d cost him plenty, but that’s the price you have to pay when you let someone down. Today was their anniversary. There were dinner plans, a night of romance, whispered words, tender kisses.

A wonderful, “sweet dreams are made of these” night – that he forgot. Forgot because he was under pressure at work to complete a project; forgot because he needed to do well, not just because of ambition, but because he needed a promotion. The money was tight, and he wanted to be able to support his family in a better way.

The roses were a huge expense, but it was a necessary sacrifice to make it up with his wife. He owed her more, but this could be the start of earning his way back into her favor.

Now imagine you are the one carrying the roses and you’re bringing them to Jesus. You’re offering the roses as a “sacrifice” to compensate for your bad behavior, for your sin.

But Jesus says he doesn’t want the roses, not if they’re delivered with the intention of making up for your mess up. He says, in effect, “I want your surrendered heart. I’d rather have your surrendered and obedient heart instead of a heroic sacrifice meant to earn my forgiveness and love.” (God may call you to some heroic sacrifice, but the difference is doing what God says to do as an act of obedience, not an offering of guilt.)

In Matthew 9:13, Jesus is referring to Hosea 6:6 – “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (NKJV) He wants our love and obedience; He wants us to be one with His agenda. He’d rather have our lifelong love than a dozen roses.

Eugene Peterson suggests it could be explained this way: “… ‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual.’” (Matthew 12:7, MSG) The sacrifice Jesus wants is a contrite heart, flexible and obedient, wholly and totally surrendered to Him.

What does this mean?

• Give God your flexible heart – You can’t make God love you more and you can’t do anything that will make Him love you less. You are already forgiven; it is a gift that Jesus already paid for through His death and resurrection. Ask God to guide you into developing a flexible heart. Give God your heart, surrendered and submitted to Him.
• Consider Psalm 51 – Read through Psalm 51, where David comes before God to confess His sin with Bathsheba. David understood that God didn’t want a “guilt offering”; rather, He wanted to create a clean heart within David.

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

“He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13–14 (HCSB)

It’s been my experience that whenever there is a change of leadership, people get nervous. It could be a new boss replacing another, bringing in a different set of procedures to replace the ones that are well-worn and familiar.

It could be a change of leadership in the government. Will the new people in power change things for the better or for worse?

When Jesus pours His Spirit into our hearts, it represents a change of leadership. Before this Jesus-event, we’re in charge, making decisions independent of God; after this Jesus-event, God is in charge and we make decisions dependent upon Him. During this Jesus-event, we confess, “I can’t; God can.”

Paul describes this change in leadership as a transfer from the Devil’s domain of darkness into God’s “Kingdom of the Son He loves.” In one realm, the Devil is the despot; in the other, Jesus rules with love, redemption, and forgiveness. (Matthew 11:30)

When this transfer takes place, we face a choice: Will we submit to the God’s leadership or will we continue to make decisions based on how we did it when we were aligned with the renegade régime.

What does this mean?

• God works in you – Before you ask God to help you answer the questions below, remember that God is for you and He works within you. You are a work of His own hands, His masterpiece, and He is creating you anew to do the good things He planned for you long ago. (Ephesians 2:10, referencing NLT)
• Is Jesus capable? – Ask God to guide you as you ask these questions of yourself:
  • Do you believe Jesus is capable to lead your life?
  • Do you believe Jesus is willing to lead your life?
• What does your behavior say about your beliefs? – Based upon your answers, how should you change the way you think and/or the way you behave in order to align with your beliefs? If you don’t believe Jesus is capable or willing to lead your life, ask God where that uncertainty comes from, and ask Him to help you believe. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24 NKJV).

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.