On 22nd June 2014, Ps Anil Thomas shared the importance of having a renewed mind in Kingdom living. He stressed on having a “Kingdom Perspective”; a perspective which does not conform to the pattern of this world, but transforms us by the renewing of our mind. Hear to the audio and discover the importance of having a renewed mind in Kingdom living.
Audio Part 1
Audio Part 2
In Kingdom living, there is a lot of emphasis on renewed mind; not a mind that is cluttered by the cares of this world, but a mind that is constantly renewed.
The following verse tells us the importance of having a renewed mind:
Rom 12:2- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The verse says “Do not be conformed to this world… but be transformed…” The #1 principle for learning how to have a breakthrough in our situations is to understand the power of having a renewed mind. Do you think that mind is in enmity with god? No, it is the unrenewed mind that is in enmity with God; not the renewed mind.
- A renewed mind flows in the will and purposes of God.
Having a renewed mind is to live in a state of sustained repentance, constantly adjusting our perspective to the way God is showing and causing us to hear. You can’t renew your mind unless you dig deep into the Word of God because it has the ability to renew our mind.
- A renewed mind always knows that there are things that are temporal and there are things that are eternal.
The renewed mind knows that the things that are temporal will pass away, but the things which are eternal will stand. It is not the temporal that rules over the eternal, but the eternal that overrules the temporal. This is the superior reality to which the renewed mind is constantly tuned. Let us look into a few passages from the book of Mark to understand the power, importance and value of a renewed mind, especially when we are living the kingdom life.
Mark 4:35-40 – Jesus Calms the Storm
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
- A renewed mind knows to rest in the assurance of God.
Even when the storm was on the outside, Jesus was at peace inside. He could reign in the chaos outside, because of the peace inside. We will never be able to calm the storms in our lives outside unless we come at the place of peace and rest “inside”. Our outer reality is an evidence/reflection of our inner truth.
- A renewed mind understands two things:
1) Sometimes God prefers to work through us and not for us.
2) What we see (situations or circumstances that we are experiencing on the outside) is a reflection of what is happening on the inside. Change must happen on the inside, peace of God must come inside, so that we experience peace on the outside.
Mark 6: 30-44 – Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
- A renewed mind understands the difference between faith and enduring faith.
Mark 6: 50 says that the disciples got terrified on seeing Jesus. In first instance of storm, Jesus rebuked the wind, but now He intended to pass by the disciples. It is interesting to wonder why God would want to just walk past us. Why would He do that? Just to scare you, so that you would know that you need Him. And you may need to persuade Him to come into your situation. Unless you persuade Him to come into your situation, sometimes he would just pass by.
An answered prayer is the evidence of faith. But sometimes faith doesn’t work, what works is an enduring faith. Faith that brings answers, sometimes may not prepare us to handle the blessing it brings, but enduring faith not only gives us the answer, it also shapes our character which ensures that we do not get crushed under the weight of the blessings when it comes.
- A renewed mind lives with the awareness that God enables what He commands.
Jesus’ disciples had missed the point that the miracle and multiplication of the “five loaves and two fishes” had happened in their hand. In Mark 6: 37, Jesus told the disciples that “You give…” The disciples’ hearts were hardened as they had not understood about the loaves (v. 52). Sometimes God prefers to work through us and not for us.
The loaves and fishes tell us about the nature of God. When God commissions you to do something, he will also give you the enabling power to do it. It is a commission: co-mission. It is a co-mission which means that you are there, but always remember that God is also there, and that is the awareness that a renewed mind is always tuned into. Sometimes the experiences that we go through do not change because sometimes we do not derive the spiritual nutrients from the previous experience so that we are equipped for the future problems.
- A renewed mind understands the unlimited resources of God.
Let us take a look at God’s divine mathematics!
Mark 6:30-44: Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
Fishes: 2
Loaves: 5
Men fed: 5 Thousand
Basketfuls left: 12
Mark 8:1-13: Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
Fishes: Few
Loaves: 7
Men fed: 4 Thousand
Basketfuls left: 7
Jesus came to break every chain of earthly reason and logic. When He asked his disciples how many loaves of bread and fishes they had, Jesus was not seeking information, he was breaking every chain of earthly reason and logic. A renewed mind understands the unlimited resources of God. As children of God, we have the inexhaustible resources of the God at our fingertips; but not to build our personal empires. Do not be tied to the earthly reasons and logic.
In Mark 8:15-17:
15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
Jesus tells the disciples “…beware of the leaven of Pharisees…” and disciples ask if He is talking about the bread. Jesus replies that why are they talking about the bread and do not understand. Jesus is constantly adjusting our perspective so that we can see and be renewed in our mind; transformed in the nature and way that the kingdom of God functions.
To summarize the importance of having a renewed mind, let us take a look at 1 John 4:17
1 John 4:17: This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
Here the disciple John says that as Jesus is so “we are in this world”. We should live on this earth not as people with earthly perspective, but we should live on this earth as people with heavenly perspective. Your conversion is the first goal and the ultimate goal is that we live on this earth with a renewed mind, in sustained repentance. When we operate with this perspective, then we know the importance to live with an attitude of “Let your Kingdom come, Let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.