Being Thankful

This is the month when people in the United States are especially thinking about “thankfulness” or “thanksgiving.” Since this is such a prominent subject in the Bible, today I want to talk to you about the power of thankfulness.

The word “thankful,” primarily used throughout the New Testament, is a translation of the Greek word charistos. The word charistos is a derivative of the word charis, which is the New Testament word for “grace.” However, when the word charis is transformed into charistos, it more fully expresses the idea of one whose heart is thankful, grateful, or appreciative for various reasons.

One scholar says the Greek word charistos depicts an inward awareness of having been fortunate or well-treated. Thus, the word “thankful” — translated from charistos — projects the deep inward feeling of one who is thankful, grateful, or appreciative for what one has received or how one has been treated by others.

The word “thankful” is also the present imperative active tense of eucharisteo, a compound of eu and charis. The word eu denotes good or well and always denotes a good inner disposition or a good feeling about something. As mentioned, the word charis is the Greek word for “grace” so when compounded, the new word paints the picture of one who is so grateful that he has an outpouring of overwhelmingly good feelings about everything. Regardless of what is happening — or not happening — he has decided to be thankful.

All three words — “thankfulness,” “gratitude,” and “appreciation” — are the expressions of a person who is thankful that he has experienced some good event or blessing. They depict someone who is grateful toward the person or people who treated him kindly and is appreciative of what has happened. These words also communicate the recognition of his thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation of his many blessings.

The Bible commands us “be ye thankful” and “in everything, give thanks” (see Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Even if things seem to be going wrong all around us, we can still stop to count our blessings! We may feel besieged by need at the present moment, but the fact is, we each have many reasons to be thankful! It’s simply all about your perspective.

It would be good for us to consider whether we have been thankful, grateful, and appreciative all year round! Even if we’ve been through hard times, those times could have been even harder, and we can think of much to be thankful, grateful, and appreciative for right now, while we’re still going through our difficult times of struggle.

We all go through hard times at various seasons in life and I am not diminishing the pressure this creates or how challenging your circumstances must be. But I believe it’s healthy for each one of us to stop and reflect on what we have to be thankful for today and every day!

I am thankful that God blessed me with such wonderful parents who took the time to teach and instruct me on the most basic and elementary principles of life. I grew up being taught to be thankful. As a mature adult, the concept of “thankfulness” is deeply ingrained into my being because my parents so deeply planted it in my character. There is nothing I have that I did not receive, and I am thankful for everything God has sent into my life. I have so much to be grateful for!

Friend, regardless of what is happening — or not happening — we must choose to be thankful. And let’s be honest. Perhaps things could be better than they are in your life right now. However, you probably will admit that they are not as bad as they could be! The truth is you have a lot to be thankful about — even about the smallest details of your life.

Years ago, I made a decision that when anyone asks me how I was doing, I would answer by simply saying, “THANKFUL!”

Thankfulness really is a choice. You and I must turn our eyes toward the good in our lives and away from the foul things that try to hold our focus — and choose to be grateful. It’s not saying that we’re hiding our heads in the sand concerning those bad things; we’re simply obeying the Lord as we focus on what is good, and we display an attitude of thanksgiving “in everything.” Paul said, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Could Paul’s words be any clearer? God wants you and me to be thankful — not resentful, not forgetful, but thankful.

Really, if we consider all the terrible things that could have come about in our lives but didn’t, we can find a lot of reasons to be grateful. God has spared you and me from so much — and it is His will that we maintain a consistent, thankful attitude for the goodness He has shown us.

As you enjoy the time together with your loved ones, reflect on what the Lord has done for you by asking yourself the following questions:

What am I thankful for?
What has God done for me this year that has been a blessing to me?
What have others done for me that deserves a special thank you?

This Thanksgiving, make the decision to put away all the bad memories of the past and start purposefully focusing on the good things God has done in your life. Even if you think life has been tough, I assure you that it has not been as tough as it could have been. God has been good to you. The best thing you can do when someone asks you how you’re doing is to respond, “I’m thankful!” Keep this attitude of thankfulness coming out of your mouth at all times and speak it with conviction. I promise you, that one practice alone will change the way you see life!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and may God’s abundant blessing and peace rest upon you and those you love.

What is Repentance?

by Rick Renner

The word “repent” is one of the most important words used in the New Testament. In fact, repentance is so significant that in Hebrews 6:1, it’s called one of the elementary principles of the doctrines of Christ. It says:

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.
— Hebrews 6:1

The church world must understand that the word “repentance” means to change. We’re going to really look at this word, uncover its true meaning, and examine what it is and what it isn’t.

Let’s begin by asking ourselves the question, When did I repent? Do you remember the actual moment you repented? I want to share my testimony of when I repented and came to the Lord with you. I was five years old and sitting in the back of the congregation of our local church. I will never forget this. It was like the Holy Spirit reached in and grabbed a hold of my heart. Even though I was only five years old, I had the understanding that if I died at that moment, I would go to hell because I knew deep within me I was a sinner. The reason I had that understanding when I was so young was because my parents taught me the Word of God from a very early age.

I remember that moment in my life like it was yesterday. I came down to the altar, got down on my knees, and repented of my sins. I understood what I was doing. I then stood up in front of the congregation, and my pastor said, “Ricky, why have you come forward?” “I came forward to give my heart to Jesus,” I said in reply. Right then, my sins were forgiven, and I accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of my life.

I can go back to a concrete moment in my life when I gave my life to the Lord. It’s very important to have these moments to look back on because sometimes the devil will accuse you and make you question whether you’re truly saved or not. You must be able to say, “Yes, I’m saved. I can tell you when and where I was saved. I am saved!” with confidence. It helps us wage warfare against the attacks of the enemy in our minds.

Almost all children repented at an early age at that time. I’ll tell you this, I believe there’s a problem with children who grow up in church because, oftentimes, they don’t really have an exact moment they can look back on and remember their salvation. They might have grown up in the Church, and that’s wonderful, but they can’t point back to a definite moment when they made the decision to repent and come to Jesus.

As parents, it’s very important to lead your children to a concrete moment in their lives. It doesn’t matter how old they are or if they say they already know Jesus, it’s vital for them to be able to look back to a definite moment in time and remember when they repented of their sins and asked Jesus to be the Lord of their lives.

Even though I was only five, when I came to Christ, I thought about and made that decision willingly. I didn’t feel a lot of emotion when I received Jesus — I didn’t cry and say, “Oh, God, I’m so sorry for all the horrible sins I’ve committed!” I was five years old. I didn’t have a whole lot of “horrible sins” to repent for, but I simply knew in my heart that I was a sinner and I needed to repent. It was a choice I came to on my own and with confidence as a young man.

But then, something happened. Almost immediately after I repented, I was filled with confusion by witnessing some of the adults in my church. Every year we had an annual conference in our church. A preacher would come to our church to preach about something powerful — teachings about hell, the judgment of sin, the judgment seat of Christ, or Jesus’ second coming — designed to cause people in the congregation to decide to give their lives to Christ. Growing up in church all my life, I watched the adults very carefully during these conferences. I noticed that when we had these special services, it seemed like the same people were coming forward to repent! In fact, every time there was a special meeting, the exact same people would come forward, get on their knees, cry, and say, “Oh, I’m so sorry for my sins!”

When the service was finished, these same people would walk out the back door, and we wouldn’t see them for another year! When they inevitably came back for the next conference, once again, their hearts were touched, and they came to the front and repeated the same process of falling on their knees and crying for their sins. When it was over, they’d walk out that door, and we wouldn’t see them until the next conference. This cycle happened over and over again.

It became very clear to me that the cycle these people were stuck in and what they were doing wasn’t bringing any real change in their lives. The only thing their actions were bringing was a lot of crying for about an hour every year. If there’s no change, there’s no repentance. I’ll say it again: If there’s no change, there’s no repentance.

Tears aren’t necessarily evidence of repentance. You can certainly cry while you repent, but tears are not a sign or evidence of true, biblical repentance. Change is the evidence of repentance. In Luke 3:8, John the Baptist preached to those who were listening and said:

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
— Luke 3:8

When real repentance has taken place, there will be evidence of it! Real repentance causes real change.

When Denise and I’s sons were very young, we knew it was very important for them to understand repentance. So when they did something wrong, I told them I wanted them to repent. What was I after? I wasn’t trying to make them cry — I was looking for a change in their behavior!

John the Baptist was the first person in the New Testament to use the word “repent.” His ministry began when he said, “…Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2 NKJV). In Mark 1:4, the Bible says, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Luke 3:3 describes the beginning of John’s ministry by saying, “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” We can see that in all three of these passages, John the Baptist preached and said, “Repent.”

According to the teachings of John the Baptist, the only way a person could enter into the Kingdom of Heaven is through the act of repentance. I like to compare repentance with the birth canal — it’s the passageway through which we come into the Kingdom of God. You cannot come into the Kingdom of God except through repentance. Repentance is serious, and it’s crucial that every person understands it.

What does Jesus’ ministry have to say about repentance? The Bible tells us in Matthew 4:17 that Jesus started his preaching ministry with the very same words John the Baptist used. It reads:

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
— Matthew 4:17

We know from Scripture that Jesus also taught that the only way into the Kingdom of God was through repentance. It was His message then and remains His message to this day! The act of repentance is repeatedly stressed throughout the Bible, telling us we must truly repent before we can ever enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Repentance was a common theme in Peter’s ministry as well. Just like John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter began his preaching ministry with a message that emphasized repentance. Acts 2:37 and 38 (NKJV) says:

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In review, John the Baptist said, “Repent,” Jesus said, “Repent,” and Peter said, “Repent.” All three of them made it very clear that the one and only way to enter the Kingdom of God was through the act of repentance — not by being religious or attending church, but through the deliberate act of repentance. Without repentance and forgiveness, no one could enter the Kingdom of God; This is God’s requirement.

Let’s look more into the word “repent.” By definition, “repent” means a change of mind. It pictures a mind that once thought a certain way but directed its way of thinking in a whole different direction. It describes your feelings, thinking, and intellect.

Imagine a man going in one direction in life when all of a sudden, he has a life-altering experience and turns his life around. That is repentance! First Thessalonians 1:9 is one of the best verses in the New Testament that describes such a change. It says:

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.
— 1 Thessalonians 1:9

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and said, “…how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Repentance not only involves turning away from something but turning to Someone. You are to abandon your former way of life and choose to serve the living and true God — completely turning from one thing to another. The Bible tells us in Second Corinthians 7:10:

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

This passage tells us that real repentance doesn’t lead you into depression but to a concrete moment in your life when you say, Enough is enough! I’m choosing to turn away from what I’m doing and change my direction!

For example, say you quit smoking cigarettes. The Holy Spirit convicted you of this behavior. You know it’s a sin, but repentance says, “Today, I choose to turn away from that which holds me back.” You may not feel any different after repenting. In fact, you’ll probably feel like you don’t even want to stop smoking in the first place! But repentance is not based on emotion — it’s a decision! In this example of smoking cigarettes, you’re choosing to quit this habit.

Or maybe you talk disrespectfully to your spouse or loved ones, and God has been working on convicting your heart. You might start to think, It may be hard, but I’m going to change the way I talk to my spouse and loved ones! That is a turning — that is repentance!

When you turn away from damaging behavior, your flesh will try to pull you back. You may even have to repent more than once! All that matters is that you’re making a commitment to turn away from these behaviors until you’re free from them!

God isn’t there to tell you how terribly you’re doing — every time God sees you turn, His Spirit is there saying, “You did good! You’re making progress. I’m empowering and helping you to completely turn and repent!” The Holy Spirit is there to help and encourage you every step of the way.

Let’s look back at Acts 2:37 and 38 (NKJV). It reads:

We know if you have repented of your sins, you’re already a child of God, but you must understand that repentance is a lifestyle — a lifestyle you should follow for the rest of your life. If you live to be 100 years old, you should still be repenting! If there’s something not right or something in your flesh that has behaved in an ugly manner, God will require you to change, and repentance is change!

Here is my prayer for you as you meditate on true repentance and change:

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the simplicity of Your Word. We thank You for the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, and we ask that You give us the power we need to repent. I pray for those who have never repented or given their lives to Christ. I pray they come to receive You as their Lord and Savior. I pray for those who have walked with You for many years but hear You telling them to change and come up higher. I ask the Holy Spirit to give them the power to say “yes” — give them the power to turn away from sin. We thank you in Jesus’ name!

The Attitude of the Lord

By Rick Renner

When you begin to explore the gospels and look at the ministry of Jesus, you can’t find one instance when He turned anyone away that came to Him. Jesus never lost touch with people. In fact when Jesus came to Earth, He became a friend to the sinner. That isn’t to say He condoned their behaviors because He certainly didn’t, but Jesus understood that He was sent to be their salvation, and He understood what they needed. And they needed the love of Jesus!

First John 4:17 says:

Herein is our love made perfect, that we many have boldness in the day of judgement: because as He is, so are we in the world.

The Bible says eleven separate times in the New Testament that Jesus was compassionate. Here are some examples from the gospels of Jesus’ compassion:

Jesus felt compassion for the masses (see Matthew 15:32).
Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the people had no Shephard (see Matthew 9:36).
Jesus moved with great compassion when He saw the sick (see Matthew 14:14).

These are just a few of many examples of Jesus’ heart for the people He came to Earth to reach. In the same way, we as Christians should regard others just as Jesus did and be moved with the same compassion when we encounter other people in our daily lives. Many people who we cross paths with every day are hurting and in need of an answer only Jesus can give them.

Jesus became a source of value for those the world deemed worthless. The religious leaders of the day were extremely hard-hearted toward the people they were supposed to be ministering to. In no uncertain terms [note: it’s “uncertain terms,” not “uncertain turns”], Jesus strongly rebuked who thought of and treated people in this way.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

— Matthew 23:23

The Bible also says this in Luke 11:42:

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought yet to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

In other words, Jesus said that what was most important, the Pharisees had neglected or forgotten completely. They were so concerned about their rituals and customs that they neglected mercy and justice. They forgot about people!

It’s important to keep in mind that this was the kind of religious climate Jesus entered into when He began His ministry. And through His ministry, Jesus revealed the true nature of God. He loved and gave value to those who were rejected by society. He wasn’t ashamed of them, even those who were considered to be the outcasts of society.

For example, lepers were so despised and so rejected by society — they were “untouchables.” During this time, you would be considered “unclean” for merely touching a person afflicted with leprosy. Yet Jesus wasn’t the slightest bit concerned with the customs of the day or how society typically acted — He loved them. And we should

You may be thinking, We don’t have many lepers today! Sure we do — drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless people, people who struggle with mental health disorders or sexually transmitted diseases — these are people that today’s society tends to treat like the lepers of the New Testament.

Ask yourself, How would Jesus treat these people? He would value them and have compassion for them, and so should you.

Several years ago my son Paul wanted to hire an employee for our church in Moscow, Russia. The person he wanted to hire was someone who had basically grown up on the same street as us, and he had a hard, hard life. But Paul believed in this man. In fact, he was one of the few on our team who believed in him.

I told Paul, “If you truly believe in this man, then you take him and make him into something.” So we bought him a nice, new suit and made sure he looked nice and professional. Let me tell you, when that man walked in wearing that suit for the first time, he looked like a different man — his shoulders were thrown back and he exuded a confidence he never had before. Why? Because someone believe in him!

I have learned a very important lesson over my lifetime: when you value people, they live up to the value you give them. Just think about the times when someone gave you value, and it made you stand up just a little taller. That’s what Jesus does — He gives us value and dignity.

Friend, I want you to evaluate how you view and treat other people. Do you give value to the people in your life by how you treat them? Or does your opinion of people diminish the value God sees in us — the value that caused Him to move with such compassion that sending His only Son to die for our salvatoin was the only way to satisfy His love for us? From here on out, let’s endeavor to be like Jesus and lift other people up instead of dragging them down because as the Bible says, as He is, so are we in this life (see 1 John 4:17).

A Time for Preparation

By Rick Renner

Today I want to take you on a journey through the life of the apostle Paul, beginning shortly after his conversion on the road to Damascus. Some think that after Paul became a Christian, he immediately stepped into a prominent role in church leadership, but that was not the case. Even though Paul was highly skilled and trained as a Pharisee, his path to becoming an influential leader in the Early Church was long, and Paul’s positioning in church leadership didn’t happen overnight. It took a great deal of time and preparation — and many challenges and mistakes — before he was ready and able to step into the fullness of his apostolic calling.

I believe that by examining this period of Paul’s life, you will see why preparation is such an important part of fulfilling your own God-given assignment.

Let’s begin in Acts 9:10-22, where Paul, after receiving his salvation, was sitting in a house in Damascus, seeking the Lord’s direction for his life. It reads:

And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that you mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received his sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; is not his he that destroyed them which called on his name in Jerusalem, and hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound into the chief priests?

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

There is a lot to digest in this passage of Scripture, but it’s too important to overlook. Several crucial events occur throughout these verses. Despite his fearful objection, Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, reluctantly laid his hands on Paul. Paul was saved and received his sight again. He was then baptized and came out of the water as a new creation, having left everything he used to be “under the water.” Paul’s entire destiny had just changed, and His calling was confirmed.

The Bible tells us that after this life-changing encounter, Paul immediately began going to the synagogue to argue with the Jews about their doctrine. If you look back to what the Lord told Ananias about Paul (and it would do us all good to reflect on what the Lord has told us from time to time), you will see that the apostle Paul was called first and foremost to the Gentiles, or pagans. Second, he was called to kings, and, lastly, he was called to the Jews, or the children of Israel.

But who did Paul go to first? The Jewish people. Why? Because like all of us, Paul’s flesh was inclined to gravitate toward where it was most comfortable.

The story continues in Acts 9:23-25, which says:

And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: but their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

Paul was most comfortable among the Jews, so that was where he went first. In God’s eyes, teaching and persuading the Jewish people should have been Paul’s lowest priority, yet instead of obeying God’s instruction, he followed his flesh and made them his highest priority — staying within his comfort zone. If you haven’t learned this already, let me assure you that God doesn’t call us to where we feel most comfortable.

The problems Paul faced in Acts 9:23-25 were self-inflicted because he was in the wrong place speaking to the wrong people. As Scripture tells us, the Jews became so angry at him that they plotted to kill him. Eventually the situation got so bad for Paul that the Bible says his fellow brothers had to extract him from the terrible mess he had created for himself and for the church in Jerusalem. Because Paul started his ministry in disobedience to God, it took him years to correct his mistake and straighten out his ministry. Thankfully, he did, but it took some time.

Acts 9:26 says, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.” I want you to imagine Paul — the notorious Christian killer named Saul before he came to Christ — as a rough character, especially in the eyes of the people of Jerusalem. He was a fierce persecutor of Christianity and had a lot of innocent blood on his hands. Paul had also been a very prominent Jewish leader with status. He was revered and held an impressive reputation among the Jews long before he ever came to Christ.

So Paul, the fresh convert, went to Jerusalem thinking that because he had been a respected leader among the Jewish people, he would be a respected leader among the Christians. He tried to join himself with church leadership, but the issue was that he could not be vouched for and was not known by anyone. At that time, Paul didn’t understand anything about spiritual authority and likely assumed it would just be a natural progression for him to automatically step into a leadership position within the church.

But that’s not how it works. When you get saved and come into the church, you start where everyone else starts. It doesn’t matter who you are outside the church, how big your business is, or how influential you are. When it comes to the house of God, you have to learn to serve like everyone else because that is God’s process — you cannot bypass it.

Like many powerful people, Paul believed he could just skip God’s process. But he was completely out of line when he immediately tried to insert himself as a church leader. He had such a bad reputation among Christians that, as a new believer, people weren’t sure if he was really even saved! Only one believed him, and that was Barnabas.

Acts 9:27-30 reads:

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly in Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

In verse 20, we again see Paul was going to the Jews! You have to understand that Paul had no grace to reach the Jews. That’s why his efforts were such a failure. The Lord told him through the prophet Ananias that his primary calling was to reach the Gentiles, yet Paul kept trying to persuade the Jews to convert, and it kept getting him into more and more trouble. He got into so much trouble, in fact, that verse 30 says, “Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.”

Paul had to be dealt with. Even his fellow believers didn’t know what he was doing. Without any spiritual covering or approval from the elders, Paul went out on his own — apparently determined to start his ministry his way and on his terms. This created so many problems in Jerusalem that Paul was finally sent away to prevent himself from being murdered. Can you imagine that?

You Can Be Called — But You Have To Prepare To Fulfill the Call

I want to make this point clear: Paul was called and anointed by God. He had a huge assignment on his life, but he was not ready for ministry yet. Paul kept trying to shortcut God’s divine process to be promoted to church leadership, and by doing so, he left a mess in his wake. He had to learn the hard way that just because you’re called doesn’t mean you’re ready. Paul had things to learn first, and his character had to be refined before he was ready to fully step into his ministry.

What happened to Paul after his forced departure from Jerusalem? After Acts 9, chapters 10 and 11 make no mention of Paul. These chapters detail very significant events in the New Testament. Acts 10 describes the ministry of Peter and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles. But Paul is not there or mentioned even once! And in Acts 11, the Bible talks about the apostles and brethren throughout Judaea, and we see that God is moving and working, and the church is exploding and rapidly growing — yet Paul is nowhere to be found and doesn’t appear until the end of Acts 11.

For context, before Paul gave his life to Christ, he was a Pharisee and a married man. We know because according to the Pharisee’s rules, you couldn’t be recognized as a spiritual leader among the Jews unless you were married and had at least one child. So for Paul to be a Pharisee, he had to be married, and he had to have at least one child. That much is certain.

When you get to the end of Acts 11, Paul finally reappears and there is no mention of his wife or children. First Corinthians 7:7-9 says, “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and the widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.”

This is very important. The word “unmarried” is the Greek word agamos, which means not married, and it is from the word gamos, or married. But the “a” in front of it cancels out the meaning of the word it proceeds. In other words, Paul was referring to the unmarried or to those with a marriage that has been canceled. The word agamos is actually the word for “divorce.”

Paul was speaking to three categories of people in First Corinthians 7: the married, the never married, and the divorced or widowed. When Paul referred to himself in this chapter, he categorized himself as divorced, and we know that because he used to be a Pharisee, and Pharisees had to be married. When Paul, as a believer in Christ, wrote about marriage in Scripture, he wrote authority because he understood the marital relationship.

But Paul referred to himself as divorced after he came to Christ. And when they sent Paul back home to Tarsus in Acts 9, he was not the same man he was when he left his hometown. He returned to his Jewish family in Tarsus, but he was now a Christian. According to the rules of Jewish law, his family was to completely disown him. They had to legally disconnect themselves from him. He was no longer allowed to be received by his family. So by law, he would lose his child, or children, because of his conversion. This was a very serious matter.

Philippians 3:8 says, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count but dung, that I may win in Christ.” Paul lost everything when he came to Christ. We know from First Corinthians 7 that he even lost his family for the sake of Christ.

Just imagine how Paul must have felt. After his conversion, he journeyed back to Jerusalem — blinded after he had received a visitation from the Lord. He received his sight back after Ananias prayed for him and talked to him about his calling from God. Then Paul attempted to insert himself into a position of authority in the church. But instead of being welcomed and received, he created such a huge mess that no one wanted him around. He upset people so much that his life was in danger, and he had to go back to Tarsus. But when he returned to his family and declared his Christianity, he was disowned and legally separated from them. Paul’s entire life as he knew it had come undone.

Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Paul? Jerusalem didn’t want him. His family didn’t want him. Nobody wanted him.

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever thought, Nobody wants me. I can’t go where I once was, and I can’t go where I want to be?

Coming to Christ changed everything in Paul’s life. He was entirely rejected and lost his status in every conceivable way. And since he couldn’t stay in Jerusalem and nobody wanted him in Tarsus, what did Paul do?

For I neither received it of any man, neither was I taught it, but by revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversion in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: and profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathens; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia and returned again unto Damascus.

— Galatians 1:12-17

Nobody wanted him, so Paul decided to disappear into the Arabian wilderness. Think about the loneliness and isolation Paul experienced. No one wanted anything to do with him, so Jesus personally appeared to Paul to teach and prepare him. Galatians 1:12 says, “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” For more than a year, he received divine revelations from Jesus concerning the mysteries of salvation. It was during this time that he received the revelations that would eventually become his New Testament writings.

At the end of that two-year period, Paul was totally saturated with divine revelation. He received apostolic revelation about the Church, and the things he knew, no man taught him — they came directly from the Head of the Church Himself. Afterward, he traveled back home to Tarsus. Acts 11:19 says, “Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.”

I want you to notice where it mentions Stephen. Do you remember the first person to die for his faith? It was Stephen — the same Stephen who was sentenced to death by Paul (then called Saul) for preaching and evangelizing. But before Paul had him killed, Stephen traveled as far as Antioch to preach, and he eventually established the church in that city.

The story continues in Acts 11:20-25, which says:

And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much that people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul.

Remember that no one had heard from Paul for two years. Only Barnabas believed in Paul when he first converted, and Barnabas probably carried him in his heart ever since. Antioch wasn’t too far from Tarsus, so he determined to look for the man who’d retreated to Tarsus those many months ago. Barnabas went looking for Paul — he had to find him.

When Paul went home to Tarsus, he was filled with revelation about the Church, but he had no relationship with the Church. He was just one man filled with divine revelation. We don’t know if there was even a church in Tarsus at all! Paul was most likely living in solitude, having lost everything for the sake of the Gospel. He had so completely disappeared from his hometown that when Barnabas came looking for him, he had to look for him intently. No one in Tarsus had any idea where Paul was or what happened to him. But when Barnabas finally found him, he was so overjoyed that he brought Paul back to the church of Antioch.

And when he found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.

And the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

— Acts 11:26

How incredible! The very first church Paul attended and became connected to was started by Stephen — the very same Stephen he’d killed. Paul became part of the church whose founder he murdered. I don’t know about you, but this is such a beautiful picture of the grace of God that He would bring Paul to that church to be prepared for his ministry. Imagine how Paul would have had to come to grips with this profound forgiveness as he joined as a member of the church of Antioch. He was responsible for the death of its founder, yet he saw the grace of God when he was welcomed and embraced regardless of what he had done.

At one point, a prophet came and prophesied that a famine would come.

Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

— Acts 11:29,30

Here we see Paul’s first big ministry opportunity. He wasn’t sent to preach or teach but to travel with Barnabas to deliver an offering to a church in need. It didn’t matter how much revelation Paul had — he still had to be tested. So for an entire year, he’d sat in that church under Barnabas until he received his first job, and he carried the offering to Jerusalem with Barnabas. The Bible tells us:

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

— Acts 12:25

Friend, where God sends you is so important for your future. If Paul had stayed at the church in Jerusalem, he would have never received the preparation he needed for his ministry to be as influential and successful as it was. Jerusalem was filled with Jewish Christians; there were hardly any Gentiles there, whom the Lord commanded Paul to minister to first.

Make no mistake: It wasn’t by accident or coincidence that Barnabas took him back to Antioch — Antioch was the very first church whose congregation was comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. This was something that had never been done before — it was the very first of its kind. Paul was surrounded by a group of believers he never would have known if he had been in any other place.

Paul’s time in Antioch was such a pivotal time for him because he was finally in the right place under the right leadership, and he was afforded the opportunity to prove himself faithful before being released by God and his spiritual leadership into his divine calling and ministry. This demonstrates why it’s so vitally important that you’re in the right church and connected to the right people. After ten years of Paul’s ministry in Antioch, the Bible says, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them” (Acts 13:2).

Again, just because you’re called doesn’t mean you’re ready. Paul was theologically trained, but his character wasn’t developed. He had to go through God’s divine process of preparation, and he finally submitted to the spiritual leadership in his life and got to a place where his faithfulness and commitment to the Lord could be proven. It took Paul ten years to be tested, proven, and declared ready for ministry by the Lord. But without that time of preparation, who knows how Paul’s ministry would have ended up?

Don’t Be Discouraged — Trust God’s Timeline and Remain Faithful

If you know what God has told you to do, but it’s taking a little time to fully step into that calling, do not be discouraged. There is a time of preparation for each person, and it’s during this time that God is changing and altering you from the inside out. It can take time before His divine process is complete, much like it did for Paul, although that isn’t necessarily always the case. But it takes place on God’s timeline.

Even if you’re filled with knowledge and revelation and you’re highly gifted and anointed, you must trust and obey God’s process. Paul had revelation about the Church, but he had had to first learn how to have a relationship with the Church before he was released to be in the ministry on his own. Eventually the day came when Paul was ready and released into his own unique ministry by the Lord. Once he finally stepped out, the rest is history! The life and legacy Paul left for us are still felt to this day, and the ministry he so faithfully gave himself to lives on for all eternity. Friend, it’s so important to be faithful where you are. Submit yourself to God’s divine process of preparation and, eventually, the day your heart has so desperately longed for will arrive. Through His preparation, you will be ready to walk out whatever God has called and anointed you to do. I assure you, you will be glad you did it God’s way!

The Passion

By Rick Renner

Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from one of Rick Renner’s Internet Good News Church sermons.

It is always important for us to honor and thank God for the precious gift of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. As we prepare to celebrate the Easter season, it is especially important to reflect on the dreadful yet glorious day of Jesus’ death on the Cross. We should never forget just how terrible the price of our redemption was. We must remember that we are God’s most precious and prized creations, and the story of Christ’s passion reveals the magnitude of His extraordinary love toward us. Jesus knowingly and willingly endured the depths of torment for you, me, and all mankind! I believe that as you read this article, you will receive a fresh revelation about the most significant series of events in the entirety of human existence — Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection! The world has never been the same since these events took place. And neither will you!

Let’s begin in Matthew 27:35, which says, “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, castings lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.” I want to bring your attention to the word “crucified.” The word “crucified” is a horrible word. Because we live in a modern, civilized world, it can be difficult to understand just how horrendous the practice of crucifixion was. Crucifixion was the most horrible punishment in the ancient world. At the time of Jesus’ death, it was entirely in the hands of the Romans, who were especially merciless in the way they crucified people. It’s difficult for us to understand just how horrible crucifixion was. The cross was appalling.

Nearly 700 years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah prophesied what Jesus’ appearance would look like subsequent to His crucifixion, and it was completely accurate. Isaiah 52:14:

As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

The New International Version says, “Just as there were many who were appalled at him — his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:13 NIV). In the next chapter, Isaiah continues his prophecy, saying:

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

— Isaiah 53:4,5

I want you to personalize the verse above. Jesus died for the world, but He also died specifically for YOU! Think about it. How does this revelation change how you think about your circumstances?

Jesus bore your grief and sorrows on the Cross. He was wounded for your transgressions and bruised for your iniquities. He was chastised for your peace. And the stripes that were laid upon His flesh bought your healing! Praise God for the Cross of Jesus Christ!

Now, let’s examine the very last moments when Jesus’ life on Earth came to an end and He took His last breath. As He hung on the Cross, He cried out, “It is finished!” (see John 19:30). The word “finished” is the Greek word tetelestai, which means to end, to bring something to completion, or to accomplish something. It’s interesting that Jesus’ last words on Earth were “It is finished.” What did it mean when Jesus cried out “Tetelestai,” and why would those be His final words? Jesus was intentional with everything He said and did throughout His life and ministry on Earth, so there must be a deeper meaning Jesus wanted to convey to us through these words.

When Jesus cried, “Tetelestai,” He was declaring that He had finished the assignment His Father had given Him. In those days, when a servant was given a mission, he would return to his master when the mission was complete and say, “Tetelestai.” In other words, the servant reported back to his master that he had done everything required of him, exactly as he had been instructed. The mission had been accomplished. So when Jesus cried out, “Tetelestai!”, He was literally saying, “The mission has been accomplished. Father, I have done everything You told Me to do.”

You must also realize that every Jew understood what tetelestai meant because it was the Hebrew equivalent of a word that was often used by the high priest. Every year, the high priest would enter the the Holy of Holies in the Temple to present the blood of an unblemished lamb as a sacrifice unto the Lord. The very moment the blood touched the mercy seat, atonement was obtained for another year. They did this continually, year after year, in order to obtain temporary forgiveness of their sins. So when the blood of the sacrificial lamb touched the mercy seat in the Temple, the high priest would declare, “tetelestai,” meaning the sacrifice was finished and accepted for their atonement.

Jesus hung on the Cross as the sacrificial Lamb of God, and yet at the same time, He was also our High Priest. As the High Priest, He offered up His own blood and the Cross became the Mercy Seat. When the Lord accepted Jesus’ blood sacrifice, Jesus cried out, “Teteliestai!”, which signified that His sacrifice was sufficient and our forgiveness was obtained. In the utterance of a single word, Jesus proclaimed that there would never be a need to offer a sacrifice for forgiveness ever again. What Jesus accomplished on the Cross was the final sacrifice. God accepted this sacrifice and granted our atonement. Our forgiveness was permanently purchased and our debt of sin settled forever. We see evidence of this in Hebrews 9:12, which says, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

The word tetelestai was a word also used to signify the full payment of a debt. When a public or private debt was completely paid, the parchment on which the debt was written was officially stamped with the word tetelestai. This stamp meant that the debt had been paid in full and the debtor was released from any contractual obligation brought on by what he had previously owed. Once stamped, this document literally said, “It is finished. I have paid in full the debt I owed.”

Sin is a heavy burden, and no matter how much good you do or how hard you try, you simply can’t do enough to pay the enormous debt of your sin. It isn’t worth trying. But when Jesus came to Earth and shed His Blood on the Cross, it was the ultimate sacrifice. In offering His Blood before the Lord, He did something no human being could ever be capable or worthy of doing: Offering a perfect and acceptable sacrifice of blood for the payment of the sinful nature of mankind. And at the very moment you made Jesus your Lord and Savior, you received repentance and Jesus canceled your sin, guilt, and debt — permanently removing it from your life. The heavy weight of sin is immediately removed from your shoulders, and you receive a fresh, new start!

The word tetelestai also signifies the end of something and the beginning of something new. Jesus’ death was the turning point in history when the Old Testament ended and the New Testament began. You may think, When did the Old Testament end, and when did the New Testament officially begin? It was at the moment when Jesus said “Tetelestai,” or in other words, “The old is finished. Now we’re entering into a new period of grace.” It also represents the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant. And for us, it indicates the end of an old life and the beginning of a beautiful new life!

To review, when Jesus said, “Tetelestai,” He was saying four things:

The mission is complete.
The final sacrifice has been offered.
The debt has been fully paid.
Old things have ended, and everything new is beginning right now.

Hallelujah for the Cross! When Jesus said, “Tetelestai,” it was a declaration that all of Heaven rejoiced to hear. But it was not the end of Jesus’ work. It was the end and perfection of the sacrifice. But there was still more for Jesus to do.

The Bible tells us when Jesus died, He went into hell. But why did Jesus go to hell? Because sin goes to hell. It’s that simple. Jesus didn’t just take our sin, but He took it and returned it where it belonged. What an extraordinary thought that not only did Jesus suffer unimaginable anguish on the Cross, but He took it a step further and went straight into the headquarters of the enemy!

Jesus became sin. He took it on like a disguise or costume. He dressed Himself as sin and it gave Him access to hell. It was absolutely necessary for Jesus to go to hell — He had to take the fight into Satan’s domain. On the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, the Bible tells us that God used the power of the Holy Spirit to raise Jesus out of hell (see Romans 8:11). In Colossians 2:15, the Bible depicts what happened when Jesus was raised out of hell. This is an amazing verse! It says:

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

— Colossians 2:15

Notice the word “spoiled” in this verse. “Spoiled” means to strip the enemy naked of all his weapons, to leave him no weapons with which he could ever again retaliate, or to strip the enemy to the point of nakedness. When Jesus ascended out of hell, He plundered it — disarming the principalities and powers of darkness. The powers that once held us in bondage to sin were broken by the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Can you imagine how shocked hell must have been? One moment they rejoiced because they thought Jesus had been defeated. They could never perceive that Jesus’ death, crucifixion, and descent into hell were all part of God’s plan. Jesus became the personification of sin to gain access to hell, and it was there that He dismantled and disarmed the enemy, stripping the powers of darkness naked. They had nothing left to retaliate with! Jesus “…made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15).

You must realize that not a single word in the New Testament was used by accident. The word “triumph” is significant in Colossians 2:15. It describes what happened when Jesus came out of hell. It was a very specific word used to describe an emperor who had won a battle in enemy territory and collected all the enemy’s weapons, put the defeated king in chains, and marched him around for all to witness. That is where the word “triumph” comes from. Historically, the foreign kings defeated in battle hated these parades of triumph because when the victorious king returned home, the people rejoiced over the defeat of their enemy! The spoils of war would be brought in behind the king and the defeated king would be walked in chains behind all that had been taken from him in utter shame and humiliation. Friend, that is what Jesus did! He put on a triumphant parade of His victory and mastery over Satan and his kingdom of darkness!

Make no mistake about it, Jesus humiliated Satan when He plundered hell. When Jesus returned to Heaven, He displayed everything He took away from the enemy. We can’t know how, but He even displayed Satan’s miserable defeat! “Triumph” also describes a great celebration of shouting, singing, dancing, and twirling. When Jesus completed the work of atonement and returned victorious over death, hell, and Satan, Heaven held the greatest celebration the universe has ever witnessed!

Let’s take another look at Colossians 2:15, which says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” A literal translation of this verse could say, “He stripped Satan and left his forces naked, leaving no weapons behind to use in retaliation. But the biggest spectacle of all was when the enemy himself was put on display — bound, disgraced, defeated, humiliated, and stripped bare of power. All of these amazing things took place when Jesus was resurrected! When we celebrate the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on that day, we’re celebrating the greatest victory in all of human history! No other conquest can compare! To this day, we don’t have to try to defeat the devil because he has already been defeated because Christ is risen — it is the undeniable proof of Satan’s total humiliation. Glory to God!

I want to remind you of Isaiah 53:4 and 5. It reads:

If you have grief, Jesus took your grief. If you have sorrow, Jesus took your sorrow. If you are trapped in a life of sin, you can escape it today because Jesus took your transgression. If you are sick, Jesus took your sickness and replaced it with healing. If you live in sin and iniquity, you can change the way you live today because Jesus took your iniquity. If you live in torment and don’t have peace, you can have peace today because Jesus paid the price for you to have peace in your soul.

If you are carrying a heavy load of sin, there is nothing you can do in the natural to pay that debt. But Jesus can, and He has already paid your debt on the Cross. He has stamped the debt under your name as paid in full! All you have to do is receive Him as your Lord and Savior. When you do, His precious, holy blood will wash every stain and defilement of sin from you. He will provide you with everything you need to live a life of victory and authority over all the works of the devil. That is the power of the Cross — the true meaning of Easter.

I wish you a Happy Resurrection Day! Jesus is Lord, and He has risen!

A Lifetime of Adventure

By Rick Renner

Using Scripture and examples from the Bible, I will show you how it’s possible to have a successful, long-lasting marriage — a supportive, complimentary relationship where both husband and wife work together in a state of biblical harmony.

To preface this message, let’s begin by looking at First Peter. At the time First Peter was written, Peter was extremely old. It’s believed that he was married for almost 60 years, and by the time he wrote his first epistle, he and his wife were still alive. After 60 long years, they were still married, and their marriage was happy!

I find it interesting that Peter’s wife was happy after all that time because the Bible tells us in First Corinthians that she traveled with him everywhere he went, which means that although they probably didn’t live the most comfortable life, their marriage was solid. They found happiness in doing what they were called to do.

First, Peter 3 speaks of a man passionate about his beliefs about marriage. From his words, you can tell that Peter is a happy husband with a happy wife. In chapter 3, Peter addresses husbands and wives about what the marital relationship should look like. It reads:

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.

— 1 Peter 3:1

So where did Peter begin? Well, he begins with the word “subjection.” This word is the Greek word hupotasso. It’s a military term that describes a soldier who knows his position and, equally important, also knows what his position is not. He knows who he is to answer to. This is the word that Peter uses, and he begins to tell us that God has designed order in the home. This is very important.

We know from Paul’s Ephesian writings that in the home, the husband is the head of the family.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

— Ephesians 5:23

I want to tell you something that I’ve observed over many years. Women are significant and influential. When women are in the position God has for them, they have tremendous influence in their homes. Denise Renner regularly teaches that women have the power to build up or tear down their homes during her weekly program, TIME With Denise Renner — women are so powerful when they are in their God-ordained place.

But I want to say to the men. It will be much easier for your wife to be submitted to you if she sees that you’re praying, reading your Bible, and being kind. But on the other hand, if you’re stiff and unkind, not reading your Bible or praying, it makes it much more difficult for a wife to trust you. As husbands, we must do everything we can to make it easy for a wife to be in that place of trust.

At the time this was written, many Christian women were married to unbelieving men. Also, many Christian women were married to Christian men who were not living right and not obeying the Word of God. And in these two scenarios, the temptation is for women to try to help their husbands by preaching to them. But Peter encouraged these wives by stating that it is possible to win your husband and do it without preaching to them!

And it might come from a right desire because the husband is the head of the family. You want him to do good because if he doesn’t, it affects the whole family. And so, it would be a natural temptation to jump in to try to save the situation by telling that husband what he’s doing wrong. And, although I think it’s perfectly fine to express your heart if you are just continually preaching to your husband, I’ll do nothing but push that man far from you. It causes him to close his heart to you. He doesn’t want to be preached to by his wife, and he perceives it as a nuisance and will not respond correctly to it.

But in this verse, Peter says:

1 Peter 3:1

1 …women are so powerful; they can win the game of their home without a word.

1 Peter 3:1 KJV

1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

That is amazing! And when the Bible says, “You can win,” the Greek word means if you play your cards right, or if you cast your dice right, and if you play the game right, you can win the game in your house without ever saying a word. That is amazing.

What is he talking about? Well, he tells us in verse 2:

1 Peter 3:2 KJV

2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

Wives — an important thing to understand about men is that they watch their wives. I’ll give an example of my own. My wife Denise is such a powerful woman. But we’ve had moments, like every marriage has, when maybe she doesn’t like what I’m doing. She has wanted to help me, and it’s okay to tell me once. But as a man, I don’t like it when She repeatedly tells me what I am doing right and what I should be doing. This causes me to close my ears entirely. And thankfully, Denise doesn’t do that very often.

But I noticed the moment that Denise changed her approach. And when she changes her approach towards me, I know that she has decided not to preach to me but to pray for me and to trust that I also have ears to hear from the Holy Spirit. And I know that for her to change her approach, she’s had to pray, and she’s had to decide to restrain her mouth. I notice that. Men notice their wives. They see when their wives are nagging. And the men may not tell you, but they notice when you change.

And Peter says, “Men notice.” And you can win your husband by your life — live right, have a good attitude, and win your husband without ever saying a word.

I want to give you an example that you will find quite entertaining. Many years ago, Denise wanted me to get up early and pray with her every day. But back then, I stayed up very late working, so I needed more time to get up early. And Denise would say, “I want you to get up at 5:00 to pray with me. It’s my dream.”

I’d say, “Denise, I work late. Please let me sleep.”

A couple of days go by, and I hear, “Oh, how wonderful it would be to have a husband who would get up early in the morning and pray with me.” I said, “Denise, I think I’ve heard enough of this. I’m not going to get up at 5:00 in the morning.”

So then, her method changed. I was sleeping, and when she would get out of bed at 500 to pray, I could feel her throw the blankets out! And I would feel her getting out of bed and entering the next room. Then, she would get on her knees. And I’d be lying in bed, not sleeping because I was so upset by her behavior. But I would hear her in the next room praying, “God, speak to my husband that he will get out of bed and pray with me.”

And I would lay in bed. I’d say, “First, Denise isn’t talking to God. She’s talking to me. She just found a new way to preach to me.” And I lay there in my bed, and I said, “Hell will freeze before I get out of this bed.” And this went on for quite a long period of time.

Then, something happened, and my attitude changed. She began quietly getting out of bed. I would hear her in the next room. But now, she’s praying so quietly. I had to sit straight in my bed to lean forward to see what she was saying. And I would hear things like, “God, please bless Rick. He works so hard. He needs to sleep.”

And I think — I’m sitting straight up in bed listening and thinking, “Wow, something’s happened.” And morning after morning, this would continue. Denise had changed her approach towards me.

After some time, I’d start thinking, “What kind of a lousy husband are you? Your wife is praying for you, and you’re just lying here. And she dreams that you would pray with her.” So, guess what? I finally got out of bed, knelt, and said to her, “Denise, you won.” And friend, she did it without preaching!

You have to work on this, but God wants you and your spouse to be partners and heirs together in the grace of life. When it talks about the grace of life, it’s really talking about a strife-free life.

It’s quite simple, but when the wife does what she’s supposed to do, and the husband does what he’s supposed to do, it’s incredible how order comes. And when order comes, things begin to flow correctly. If we just do what the Bible says to do, it brings everything wonderful into our home.

And I’ll give one more example. In the early years, when our sons were young, Denise and I were traveling the United States in a little car to preach. And we’d be in that little car for hours on end. When you have three small children and your wife in a tiny car, you are presented with many opportunities for strife and notice something.

And Denise and I noticed that every time she and I got into disunity, one of our kids would get sick. Every single time. It took us a while to catch it, but one day, we were driving, and one of our kids was sick. Denise and I were talking, and we saw this pattern. We began to understand that strife in marriage opens the door for sickness, the door for the devil, and affects your ability to have power in prayer together.

But when you and your spouse are together, you have power when you pray. This is one reason why I do everything I can to always avoid getting in strife with Denise. And she doesn’t want to conflict with me. We have decided to choose not to enter into these opportunities of strife.

So, in our marriage, if we have a hot conversation, I may just say, “This is done. Let’s step away from this conversation, cool down, and return when ready for a respectful, mature conversation.” I’m not trying to cut her off. I’m just saying no to strife. We just don’t allow that in our house. We quickly bring it to an end because where there’s disunity, it brings trouble. But where there is unity, it brings power!

Open Up the Gift of the Holy Spirit

By Rick Renner

We have recently discussed in great length who the Holy Spirit as a Person is, and I want to continue discussing this vital topic because so much of our success in life and ministry depends on our understanding of who the Holy Spirit is and how He functions in our lives. Many people never realize this powerful truth: You can only receive what you believe!

Before we dive into today’s discussion, I want to share some of my background. I grew up in a wonderful church that believed in and taught the Bible, but we didn’t believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We believed that when the apostles died, the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased, and the supernatural activity of God in the Church ceased. And because we didn’t believe in the supernatural, we never saw it in our live or our church. When I look back, I can’t recall one time we ever prayed for anyone’s healing. When people got sick, we prayed for them to have the grace to accept their sickness — or, maybe, someone prayed, “Heal, if it be Thy will.” We simply didn’t understand the devil, spiritual warfare, or the gifts of the Spirit.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, was the headquarters of Oral Robert’s ministry. And if you didn’t know, Oral Roberts had a massive healing ministry that touched countless lives. Well, our pastor was so against anything supernatural that he would tell jokes about Oral Roberts or anyone else who was “Pentecostal.” We once had a woman in our church who became ostracized because she had an experience with the Holy Spirit. We thought she was crazy and needed to see a psychiatrist. That was our opinion about anyone who believed in the supernatural! And because of that, we lacked power and couldn’t see the supernatural demonstrated.

The first time I saw a miracle, I was attending a Kathryn Kuhlman healing meeting. When I saw those miracles, the Jesus I mentally believed in suddenly “appeared” right in front of me on stage as I saw the gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation. I remember thinking, I’ve been lied to my whole life. Jesus has always been doing this! He really is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

If we want to have and experience the supernatural power of God, we must have a partnership with the Holy Spirit and learn His ways, much like Jesus did during His time on Earth. The following is a list of significant instances in which the Holy Spirit was involved in Jesus’ life and ministry:

The Holy Spirit prophesied His birth.
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus healed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was crucified by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus asceneded into Heaven, He poured out the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

When you read about Jesus in the Bible, He is always working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit! John 5 tells us that Jesus was so dependent on the Holy Spirit that in His earthly ministry, He couldn’t do anything without the Holy Spirit’s direction! Everything He did depneded on His partnership with the Holy Spirit — isn’t that an amazing thought?

Jesus’ success was due to His dependence on the Holy Spirit. Likewise, our success depends on our own relationship with the Holy Spirit. We can see evidence of the importance of this relationship in the book of John:

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

— John 5:19

When Jesus’ ministry on Earth was ending in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), He gathered His disciples in the Upper Room and served them Communion. On that evening, He spent a significant amount of time with His disciples. And during His last precious moments on Earth, Jesus spoke exhaustively to His disciples about the Holy Spirit. He knew these would be the last words He would ever speak to them in the flesh.

Think about it. If you knew you were about to speak your final words to your loved ones, think about how careful you’d be with your words. With this in mind, think about how important Jesus’ final words regarding the Holy Spirit were. He could have spent those moments talking about so many things, but on that night, Jesus spoke to them about the Holy Spirit! Why? Because Jesus knew they would need to completely depend on the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ departure.

The Lord Has Given You the Gift of the Holy Spirit — Avail Yourself to Him!

You must understand that for a little more than three years, the disciples totally relied on Jesus. They fully obeyed every word He said and trusted Him completely. He told them how to travel, what to pack, and what to eat. He told them what to do when they entered and exited a city, how to cast out demons, and how to lay hands on the sick. For those three short years, they did nothing without Jesus’ instruction.

Just as Jesus instructed the disciples, the Lord wants us to utilize the gift of the Holy Spirit. How unfortunate it would be to have the Spirit of God in your life and not even know what it means for Him to be there! The Holy Spirit is truly a gift, but we must open this gift to receive it!

In John 14, Jesus spoke to His disciples about His ascent into Heaven, saying:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

— John 14:26

Notice where it says, “…The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name….” In other words, Jesus was saying that He would pray to His Father to send down someone just like Him — a Comforter who could take Jesus’ place on Earth. In fact, the word Jesus used during this conversation communicated the idea that the way the Holy Spirit sees, hears, speaks, thinks, and acts will be identical to Jesus.

Let’s look a little further back at John 14:16, where Jesus says, “And I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” The word “Comforter” is powerful because it describes an advisor, instructor, master, trainer, or coach who comes to a student and says, “I’m going to show you what to do.” In other words, Jesus was saying, “When the Holy Spirit comes, He will speak to you. He’ll be your trainer and coach. He will come to you and tell you what to do and not to do — and where to go and not to go. He’ll tell you everything you need to know!” By giving us the Holy Spirit, Jesus gave us such a powerful gift — we’re in a unique position of having an advantage over the world!

Jesus understood that His disciples might be hesitant in trusting the Holy Spirit. They weren’t afraid to trust Jesus because they could see Him. They could touch and experience Him physically — and they had experienced walking with Him for the past three years. The Holy Spirit, however, is invisible, and it was natural to think if you couldn’t see Him, you couldn’t really trust Him. But Jesus addressed their concerns, and in His last moments on Earth, He again comforted them, saying, “There’s no need to be afraid! You can trust Him completely.” That’s why in John 15 and 16, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth” three times — meaning He will never mislead or misguide you. If you trust Jesus, you can trust the Holy Spirit.

And because the Holy Spirit is just like Jesus and gives believers worldwide an advantage over the enemy, is it any wonder why the devil doesn’t want people to partner with the Holy Spirit? Everything we do in Jesus’ name and for the Kingdom of God depends on this relationship, and that’s precisely why the devil tries to create a disconnect between the Church and the Holy Spirit.

In this day and age, it’s critical that we have a partnership with the Holy Spirit. We know of this importance because when Jesus could have spoken about anything to His disciples the night before His arrest, He spoke about the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus got to Heaven, He sat at the right hand of God. Jesus’ first act once He ascended into Heaven and took His place at the right hand of God was to pour out the gift of the Holy Spirit. And to this day, the glorious third member of the Godhead lives within us who have been born again. Experientially, He walks alongside us, guiding us through life, just as Jesus walked with His disciples when He was physically on the earth.

The Bible tells us in the book of Acts:

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many came with Peter, because tha ton the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

— Acts 10:45

Learn To Listen to the Holy Spirit!

Truthfully, God has enabled us to do many things well, but not because we’re brilliant! It’s because we have learned to listen to the Holy Spirit! He will tell us everything we need to know in life if we have an ear to listen. Simply incline your ear to hear what the Spirit of God would say to you. It’s that easy!

During Jesus’ ministry on Earth, He made this statement six times: “He that has an ear, let him hear.” When He spoke to the churches in the book of Revelation, Jesus said seven times, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.”

The Holy Spirit is speaking all the time, but not everyone is listening. If that describes you, you can change that today! Simply open your heart, be honest before the Lord, and say:

Holy Spirit, this is new for me. Following Your voice is a little unnerving because I can’t see You. But Jesus said You are just like Him, and I should trust You as I would trust Him. Please help me to listen and obey.

Some might say, “Oh, I wish I could’ve lived 2,000 years ago and walked with Jesus.” That is the wrong way to think! We’re walking with Jesus right now because He sent the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is exactly like Jesus — and He is here today!

When you first start following the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will make a few mistakes, but the mistakes won’t be with the Holy Spirit — they will be with you! You have to learn how to listen, and you have to start somewhere. If you don’t get started, you’ll never learn. It’s a process, but that’s okay! The Holy Spirit is your Advisor, Instructor, Master, Trainer, and Coach — He will help you every step of the way!

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

By Rick Renner

In order to fulfill His life’s purpose and ministry, Jesus depended mightily on the Holy Spirit and His guidance. If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to fulfill the call on His life, how much more do you and I need Him if we want to do the same?

But before you can rely on the Holy Spirit, it is important for you to know about His ministry. Let’s begin by looking at what happened when Jesus’ early ministry began in Matthew 3:16, which reads:

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightaway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.

In this verse, we read that when Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him like a dove, and Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit. From this moment forward, everything changed. After receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ ministry began. This was a moment of utmost significance.

In the book of Luke, the Bible tells us the first thing Jesus did when He began His ministry went into the synagogue, pick up the book of Isaiah, and read from chapter 61. The very first words of Jesus’ ministry were, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” He went on to say:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

— Luke 4:18

Before going any further, we need to establish two truths. The first is this: the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. Just as we have the Father and the Son, we also have the Holy Spirit. So in order to have an effective ministry and walk on the path of righteousness, we need to know what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit. We must have a relationship with Him in the same way Jesus had a relationship with His Father.

The second truth is that we are living in the Church Age, which is the age of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. In other words, Jesus is not on the earth today; He is seated at the right hand of the Father where He serves as our Great High Priest, but fortunately, when Jesus made His ascent into Heaven, we weren’t left on our own. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit into the world to take His place — He dispensed the Holy Spirit into the world to act in His stead! So if you don’t know the Holy Spirit and how to partner with Him, this is a deficit, and you are at a great disadvantage.

In John 13-16, the Bible tells us how Jesus stressed the importance of the Holy Spirit to His disciples during the last hours of His life on earth. In those final moments, Jesus could have spoken to them about any subject, but He chose to tell them about the Holy Spirit. Jesus saved the most important truths for last.

During Jesus’ conversation with the disciples, He referred to the Holy Spirit as a Person — not an anointing, a power, or a feeling. When you understand the Holy Spirit is a Person, you can relate to Him as someone with whom you can have a partnership and relationship. But just like it takes time to develop a meaningful relationship, it also takes time to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit, The time you invest in your relationship with the Holy Spirit and in learning about His ministry is invaluable!

Let’s take a moment to look at the chapters in John in which Jesus speaks to the disciples about the importance of the Holy Spirit. John 14:16 states:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.

Notice where Jesus says, “…another Comforter….” The word “another” is significant here. In Greek, “another” is the word allos, which literally means one of the very same kind or identical. In other words, you could read this verse as Jesus saying, “The Holy Spirit and I are identical in the ways we think and act. What makes Me happy makes the Holy Spirit happy, and what gives Me joy gives Him joy. How I respond to a situation is exactly how the Holy Spirit will respond. We are allos, or we are identical in every way. When the Holy Spirit comes, He will be just like Me. You don’t have to figure Him out because He and I are identical. If you know Me, you will know the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus takes it a step further by saying, “When the Holy Spirit comes, He will be another Comforter — or an identical Comforter — just like Me.” Jesus had been a comforter to the disciples, and He promised that the Holy Spirit would be a comforter in the same way. Everything Jesus did while on Earth is everything the Holy Spirit will do for you now!

So if you have the Holy Spirit, it’s just like having Jesus because they are identical in every way. Jesus made this point so clear and straightforward that it’s impossible to mistake what He meant in John 14:16. To look at Jesus and know Him is to know the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted to ensure His disciples knew exactly who would come and indwell every believer upon Jesus’ ascent into Heaven.

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Truth” three times in John 14-16. Why do you think Jesus said this three times? He said it because He knew working with the Holy Spirit would be very different for the disciples. They had always worked with Jesus — they could touch Jesus, listen to His voice, and look into His eyes. But now Jesus was leaving, and they had to step into Jesus’ position and learn to operate with the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had done throughout His ministry on earth. They could no longer touch Jesus or look into His eyes. They had to operate with the Holy Spirit, whom they couldn’t touch or see. For them, this was stepping across a line into a whole new realm they had never experienced first-hand.

So in John 14-16, Jesus said the Holy Spirit was the Spirit of Truth three times. This was the equivalent of Jesus saying, “Don’t be afraid. You can trust Him. If you can trust Me, you can trust Him.” And in the same three chapters, Jesus also said the Holy Spirit is a “Comforter” four times, emphasizing that the Holy Spirit would be their new Teacher. Jesus was ascending into Heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father, so the disciples had a change in their relationship with God. They had to receive the Holy Spirit as their Teacher and Guide.

Jesus reassured the disciples of this in John 16:13, which says:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit is here now to guide you just as a mother would guide her child, or just as Jesus would guide His disciples when He walked alongside them on Earth. This means you don’t have to take a shot in the dark and hope you’re headed in the right direction because the Holy Spirit was sent to Earth as the third person of the Trinity — so He could take you by the hand and lead you in the way you’re supposed to go. This is part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to you. His guidance helps you avoid mistakes and the traps of the enemy.

We have countless choices to make in life — what jobs we should take, where we should live, what church we should go to, where we should invest our money, where our children should go to school, etc. All of these are serious decisions that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Our choices shape our lives and ultimately decide whether or not we fulfill our God-given destiny. But while we can only see what is immediately in front of us, the Holy Spirit sees far ahead into the path that lies before us.

Jesus assured us that the Holy Spirit would show us things to come — things we can’t see in the natural world without a revelation from the Father’s heart imparted to us by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows what we need to do in order to stay within God’s will, and He is just like Jesus, so we can rely on the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher and Guide.

Remember as you continue your pursuit of God and the calling He had placed on your life, you are not alone! You never have to make decisions by yourself. And if you train yourself to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice through spending time in fellowship with Him, He will be everything Jesus promised He would be: your Helper, Teacher, Comforter, and Guide. You were not made to live life by your own strength or to rely on your own abilities and know-how. The Spirit of Truth was supernaturally given to you to guide you on your life’s journey. So lean into Him; He is ready and willing to help you in every possible way to ensure you walk down the path God has ordained for you according to Ephesians 2.

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

— Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)

Making A Key Decision in Your Life

By Rick Renner

My friend, I want to help you learn how to make a very important decision in your life. You know, the decisions you make are very important, and you must ensure that you are making correct decisions. And I want to actually ask something of you.

I would ask you to make a decision to read your Bible every day.

Now, what I am not doing is asking you to feel like it, because any time you depend on your feelings before you do something, you’re not going to do it. That’s just the truth. For example, if you depend on your feelings to exercise or diet, then you never will. In the same way, if you depend on your feelings about reading your Bible every day, it will never happen.

So, regardless of how you feel, you must make a decision that just like you brush your teeth every day, you are going to read you Bible. If God wants this of you, then you just do it. It’s a choice that you make.

Now, somebody might say, “Well, Rick, you’re in the ministry. It’s easy for you to read your Bible.” Friend, I want to tell you, the easiest place in the world to backslide is in the ministry. It’s absolutely the truth. Do you know why that is? It’s because in the ministry, you are in holy things all the time and you can easily become very numb or insensitive to the things of God.

You know, I deal with things just like you do. When I wake up every morning, I have messages on my phone and emails waiting for me. I watch the news and receive phone calls. I have all kinds of things that can very easily distract me. So, I’ve had to decide that before any food goes in my mouth, the Word of God is going to go in my heart. I made that personal rule about eleven years ago and I live by it. I just made a decision, and it became a discipline.

You may say, “Well, I’ve tried this and failed, and I don’t even want to commit to do it again because I’ll probably fail again.”

I would encourage you not to give up! God has victory in mind for you, and He wants you to go to new places in your spiritual life.

And look at the words of Paul in Philippians 3:13. He says:

Philippians 3:13

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but here’s what I’m going to do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before.

When Paul says, “I count not,” it really means to keep a record of what you have done. And even Paul, whom we would say was a spiritual giant, says “Hey, when I look at the facts, I see I’ve not done everything that I was supposed to do. But rather than lamenting it, and moaning, and groaning,” he said:

Philippians 3:13

13 …here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to forget the things that are behind.

That word “behind” describes something that is obsolete and no longer relevant. It no longer has any application. Paul is saying, “What is behind me, it is in yesterday. It is irrelevant. There’s nothing I can do about it therefore, I’m going to leave it there.”

In fact, he even says he’s going to forget. And that word “forget” is rarely used in the Bible, but it’s meaning is so strong. When Paul says, “Forgetting”, this is literally what he means:

I’m going to turn away from and forget what is behind me. Those things that are irrelevant, I’m going to put them aside. What was in my yesterday, I’m going to deliberately ignore. I’m going to purposely disregard it and completely forget it. It is finished and done away with it. It is obsolete and no longer applicable. It is not who I am today.

That is so powerful! My friend, aren’t you glad that who you were yesterday is not who you are today? That is good news!

You know, it’s just a fact that you cannot fix everything in the past. There are some relationships you cannot restore and some mistakes you made, that you cannot change. There is nothing you can do about it; Some things are already gone and unfixable. But the Bible makes an amazing statement when it tells us in the Book of Ephesians that we can redeem time.

Ephesians 5:16 KJV

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Isn’t that amazing? It literally means we can buy back time! And let me tell you how to do it.

When you focus on today, and do what is right today, God will supernaturally help you make up for all of your mistakes and all of your wasted time.

And that’s why Paul says:

Philippians 3:13

13 …rather than live in the past, I’m going to reach forth to the things that are in front of me.

Oh, that is so powerful! “Reaching forth” is a picture of a racer who’s running. He’s not just sitting on the side thinking about running. No, he has jumped into the race, and he’s running toward a definite goal.

And this phrase, “reaching forth” is the picture of a runner who’s reaching hard, pushing forward. His chest is forward and he’s really giving it everything he’s got.

Now, if you’re turning around looking at your past and thinking about everything that you have done wrong and all the mistakes you’ve made, then you’re just living in your past and you are paralyzed from reaching forth into what is before you. If that’s you then make the decision to do what Paul says and forget those things behind and reach forth!

Remember that what happened yesterday cannot be fixed so you must deliberately ignore it, turn away from it and instead look at what is in front of you. Today is in front of you! And God has prepared lot of wonderful things that are right in front of you.

Now, I’ll tell you, in my personal life right now, I can see very clearly what’s in front of me and where I’m going. I can see the goal, and this helps me to make decisions.

When you can see something, it really brings clarity to your life.

Now, I want to go back to making the decision to read your Bible daily. And I want to tell you, when it comes to making that decision, or doing anything for that matter, you need a concrete goal to shoot towards. The Bible is just too big. You might wonder: where do I begin? How much do I need to read?

You need to make a concrete goal because if you don’t have something concrete or something you can see and shoot for, then you will never get started. And I’m going to tell you, that when you get started with any goal, start with something that is realistic. Just start with a few verses, and then, push the goal a little further. You might start off reading a whole chapter. Eventually, you’ll be able to push the goal a little further and read a couple of chapters. Or you could start off reading for five minutes and then move it up to ten minutes. Just do what you can do but have a goal that is achievable.

I am just as busy as you, but I have a concrete plan for every day of my life. And if you have no plan, it’s guaranteed that you will fail.

Now, I want to give you another verse that will support what I am telling you. In this verse, the apostle Paul is talking about how to win any victory. And he says:

1 Corinthians 9:26

26 I run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air:

Notice, he says, “I run.” That word “run” describes a runner who has jumped into the race. So, this tells us that first, you got to get in the race.

Grab your Bible. Get a Bible reading plan and jump in the race.

And Paul says —

1 Corinthians 9:26

26 I don’t run uncertainly.

That word “uncertainly” means a person who has no aim, no plan, or no direction. So, Paul tells us this is not the way to run. No, he has a concrete plan and therefore, he knows exactly where he is going.

And then he says:

1 Corinthians 9:26

26 …so fight I, not as one that beats the air.

That word “fight” is the only time it’s used in the New Testament. It’s the word for a “boxer” — a boxer that’s just furiously beating the air. It describes a shadow boxer who is swinging, but he never hits the target because he doesn’t have a goal.

That’s why you need a plan. I can guarantee that if you do not have a concrete goal, one year from now, you will be exactly where you are right now.

And do you know what happens when you stick with a plan, whether it’s reading your Bible, or exercising, or losing weight?

When you stick with your plan, you feel victorious! You just feel like you’ve mastered yourself. Sticking to a plan will just do something for you!

Psalm 119:105

105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet. It is a light unto my path.

The Word of God is a light unto our feet and our path. It keeps us on the right path in life.

In Joshua 1:7, concerning the Bible:

Joshua 1:7 KJV

7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

So, here we have the promise, that if you take the Word of God into your heart, you will become prosperous. And why is that? Because the Word keeps you on the right path. It is light to your steps, and it illuminates the way you think. The Bible promises that you will become prosperous when you take the Word of God into your heart. All you must do, is make the decision to continually take in God’s Word.

So, in conclusion I will leave you with this question: “Are you going to make a decision to begin reading your Bible?”

As I have said, life is all about decisions and I believe this is a decision that if you will make a goal and stick to it, will help you make it all the way to the other side of life.

This could be the most important decision that you have ever made.

Do Not Become Callous Continued

By Rick Renner

Last month we discussed why we must have sensitive hearts towards the Lord and not allow anything into our lives that would grieve or disturb Him. The Holy Spirit is a person, and the Bible says He yearns over us with jealousy (scripture- James 4:5?) and so that means we can do certain things or live in such a way that troubles Him and wounds His heart. Remember, we are His creation, He loves us, and He is to be the Lord and God of our lives.

We left off discussing how the Lord refuses to leave us on own through the grace of God. So, if we go wayward and refuse to obey His promptings to return to Him as our first love, does God just abandon us, leave us, and let us go? The answer is emphatic, NO!

What does God do then? How does He bring us to a place where turn from the way we’ve been going and give our hearts once again to Him. You might be surprised. It is through His Grace!

James 4:6 KJV

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Where does grace fit in here? Well, it may not sound like grace, but it really is grace. The Bible says —

Romans 2:4 KJV

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

And in this case, if you have given your heart to another and turned from the ways of God and started living like the world, He actually begins to resist you. Now, this is the Christian who says, “I know I shouldn’t be over here. I’m not coming back. It’s not so bad.”

If they don’t come back by themselves, James says, “God will get involved, and He will begin to resist that individual.”

James 4:6 KJV

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

That word “resist” is a military word which means to strategically and methodically oppose in order to crush an enemy. Now, let me tell you, God’s pretty big and if He is against you, you’re in trouble.

But, we are told this in Romans 8:31:

Romans 8:31 KJV

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

But if you get on the wrong side with God, He is against you. And when God puts out His arm and tells you to stop, you’re going to stop.

Suddenly, you’ll find the breaks have slowed down your momentum. You discover your success has stopped and you’ll be in a continual state of frustration. You may feel that you’re failing and it’s because God is strategically opposing you —stopping you so you’ll wake up and realize that you must get your heart right with God.

Usually when God begins to oppose somebody, their first thought is to rebuke the enemy. But we must learn that many times, it’s not the devil but God Himself.

I have experienced this in my life on more than one occasion. But friend, I assure you this is God’s grace and goodness at work! It’s as if He says, “Excuse me. You’re not in the spiritual place you need to be right now and I’m going to put everything on pause until you wake up and get it right.”

And when finally we humble ourselves, look what the rest of the verse says in James.

James 4:6 KJV

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Hear me now, the very moment we say, “Lord, I have been so wrong and I’m coming back to You.”, Immediately, that hand of resistance is removed. Things begin to work again, the joy of your salvation is restored and you begin to be successful in your endeavors again!

You see, God was never really against you. This was His way of bringing your attention to something that required change.

I have learned in all my Christian life that if Denise and I are feeling frustrated in our ministry, I don’t immediately begin yelling at the devil. Now, we have authority over him because He is under our feet and it could be that He might be trying to mess things up. But before I begin yelling at the devil, the very first thing I do is ask the Lord if there is something that I need to correct. And I’ve found that usually, the answer is yes. And when the correction is made, it is amazing how quickly everything begins to flow.

Now, I want to show you something else. Go to Ephesians 4, because I want to show you the kind of things that will stop you and the kind of things that grieve the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t have to be watching bad movies, getting drunk, or committing adultery.

Look what He says in Ephesians 4:25 —

Ephesians 4:25 KJV

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be angry, let not the sun go down on your wrath. Neither give place to the devil.

So we see that lying and anger are two things that will grieve the Holy Spirit. And we give him or access into our lives by doing or allowing these things.

Then look at verse 29:

Ephesians 4:29 KJV

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Paul is not only speaking concerning using filthy words. The Greek word used here literally means rotten conversation. So, if in our speech we’re negative, finding fault, criticizing, or gossiping, it grieves the Holy Spirit! That is the form of corrupt communication mentioned here.

Ephesians 4:30 KJV

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.

This means that even just having wrong attitudes can grieve the Holy Spirit. My friend, we must be careful with how we conduct ourselves. Even our attitudes can affect us and grieve the Lord.

But what does the word “grieve” mean? It describes a spouse who has just discovered that his mate has committed adultery, and he is deeply, deeply wounded.

When Denise and I first got married, we led a ministry which was for people who had been through a divorce. In one year, Denise and I counseled over one thousand brand-new divorcees and we learned about the pain of divorce. And when somebody would come for counseling, I had heard what they said from so many other people that I could almost predict what they were going to say.

One woman would say — “I am so hurt. I gave him my life and bore his children. I supported him and after all that I’ve done for him, how could he do this to me?”

One man would say — “I paid her bills and took good care of her. How could she give her heart to somebody else?”

All of that is this word “grieve”, used in this verse which means, the Holy Spirit who has come to live in us, who longs to have all of us, when we have given our heart to another says, “How could you do this to Me? Have you forgotten that I live in you? I gave you the new birth. I’ve produced fruit in your life. I’ve done so much in your life and after all that I’ve done for you, how can you do what you’re doing?”

It grieves Him.

And just like a wounded lover, sometimes the Holy Spirit’s joy backs up as a means of letting you know that He’s trying to get you to recognize something’s wrong in your life. But if you don’t wake up to it, then the next phase will come, when God says, “You are Mine. You do not belong to the world and if you don’t come by yourself, I’m going to do what I have to do to get your attention, so you get back into right relationship with Me.” And He will resist us until we come to a place of repentance. My friend, it is the goodness of God at work to bring you back into Himself. It is God’s grace at work.

I know some Christians that have troubles all the time, in every area of their lives. And I know what the problem is. It’s exactly what I have been telling you. It’s simply God trying to get their attention to get back into relationship with Him. If they will just listen and obey, things will start going right again!

Even when God resists us, He’s for us. It is His grace and His goodness working to bring us back to the place the Lord knows we are to be. God doesn’t want to resist anybody. He’s for us and wants to bless us. But if we are determined to do what is wrong, He is so good and will refuse us to continue down that path He knows will bring harm to us. That is precisely why He will get our attention and help us make things right again. He is such a good Father!

I want you to evaluate your heart and allow the Holy Spirit to show you areas of your life that require you to make adjustments and change. It’s so simple. It takes seconds to get right with God.

Just pray this aloud: “Father God, I realize that I have done things that have grieved you. I understand now. I ask you to forgive me. I’m coming home. I’m going to make You my priority again and I’m going to do what I used to do. Lord, close my eyes and ears to what is wrong and I ask you to open them to what is right. I ask you this in Jesus mighty name.

If you have prayed this prayer, whether you feel like anything has changed or not, the grace of God has come. He forgives you, He is for you, and He will help you live in a way that brings Him great joy and delight! Forget what is behind you and press into the wonderful future and life that God has prepared for you. It is that easy!