Coming up on Renewed Mindsets. I've seen a lot of beautiful things in my lifetime the beauty of the ocean when there's no land in sight, any sunrise or sunset. My Kimmy every time I look at her. There's also been many things I've never seen, but to think that there's some things that God has never seen sounds ridiculous, but the truth is there are some things that God has never seen. Sounds ridiculous, but the truth is there are some things that God has never seen, nor will he ever see them. Let's talk about that. Let's go, boys.
Speaker 1:Hey, welcome to Renewed Mindsets, where we study the basics of the faith through the lens of our middle-aged experiences. I'm Rick. Welcome to the show where I help you, gen Xers and Millennials, navigate spiritually through a world that looks nothing like we expected back when cars were square and mullets were totally awesome. I am so glad you're here. I want to share with you today about three things that God has never seen.
Speaker 1:Now, I believe this message is for somebody listening to this podcast. I feel that God has wanted to speak to some hearts and let you know that there's hope today, through Jesus Christ. I believe God is getting ready to touch you in a powerful way as you open up your hearts and let the word of God penetrate it right now. So what could God possibly not see? Well, first of all, god has never seen a problem he couldn't solve. If you're breathing this morning, you've run into problems that you feel that you couldn't solve. We do it every day. You've run into things that seem to overwhelm you.
Speaker 1:Now I'm limited in my ability to meet certain needs. I'm not one of these men that are very good at doing about everything. I'm not like my pastor Chip, who can also be known as MacGyver, because he can fix just about anything. But you can ask just about anything. But you can ask me about computers and I can help you out. But if you want me to fix your plumbing, you better keep looking Now. We as a church are sometimes limited in what we can physically do for people. I've seen churches able to help several people with an emergency food bank, but that's just a temporary solution to their problem. Now these people would soon eat their last meal and they'd soon spend their last dime and would be no better off. But I know of one today whose supply has never run out. I know of one who can meet every need. I know of one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and his name is wonderful, prince of peace, counselor, everlasting father. His name is Jesus.
Speaker 1:I think of Moses as he stood before the Red Sea. I think of David and how God guided that stone to kill Goliath. I think of Elijah and how he proved God to be true. I think about Daniel and how God shut the mouths of the lions. I think about the three Hebrew boys and how God not only took the burn out of the fire, but one likened unto the Son of God, joined them.
Speaker 1:We may never need the waters parted, but it's nice to know that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall be raised up like a standard against him. You may never need to slay a giant, but when your problems mount against you like a giant, you can call on the one who knows how to bring that giant down. You may never be in a lion's den, but when the devil comes at you like a roaring lion seeking to devour you, god can shut the mouth of that lion. You may never face a fiery furnace, but when you're in the heat of battle, jesus will stand with you and provide for you a way of escape. Now, I believe the Holy Spirit inspired men to write these great miracles of God down so it would be easier for us to trust God for our problems. Write these great miracles of God down so it'll be easier for us to trust God for our problems, no matter how big or how small they might seem.
Speaker 1:Jesus Christ is waiting patiently for you to ask him to get involved. And you might be wondering if God knows I have a need, why doesn't he automatically just meet that need? That's a good question. It's because of this simple fact he wants you to understand that you can't make it by yourself. You're limited in your resources and abilities. You have to come to the place where you realize that you must rely on him to help you, to watch over you, to take care of you. And when you do and you've turned that situation or that struggle over to God, then he and he alone will get the glory for what he's doing in your life. I'm telling you, if you will come clean with God and confess those areas in your life that you know shouldn't be there, you are going to experience freedom like you have never had. You'll experience the weight of sin lifted off of you, you'll find revival in your soul. But you got to turn it all over to him. Now.
Speaker 1:The second thing that God has never seen is a sickness that he couldn't heal. Now I believe I know there's no belief he couldn't heal Now. I believe I know there's no belief it's no that God is still in the healing business today. The power of God did not stop when that last apostle died. It wasn't just for the first New Testament church. My Bible tells me that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. And the Bible says by his stripes we are healed. But if you don't believe what the Word of God says, you'll never receive your healing. You have to act with faith on the Word of God. The Bible says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Now I believe there's still power in the word of God. The word can change men's lives. The word can help set the captive free. The word, when acted on by faith, can provide healing for your body.
Speaker 1:I think about the woman with the issue of blood. She tried everything she knew She'd been to every doctor, she'd gotten a second, third and fourth opinion. The Bible says that she spent all that she had and was none better. She was a woman that was desperately in need of a touch from God and she hears one day that Jesus was coming to town and she made up her mind that nothing was going to stop her from getting to Jesus. Now, what was she doing? I'll tell you what she was doing. She was going after the living word.
Speaker 1:In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. She is an example of how we need to come to Jesus. She pressed through the crowds, she climbed on her hands and knees just to get to Jesus and she finally got to him and she felt like, if I can just touch him not just him, but the hem of his garment that she'd be made whole Not just healed, but made whole body, mind and spirit. Now we need to come to him with everything that's within us. We need to come to him with assurance that's within us. We need to come to him with assurance that he is going to meet your need. If you're in need of healing today, cry out to God, get desperate about it and keep seeking him and standing on the word until you get an answer. It's one thing to know what the Bible says, because many people can quote some portion of the Bible, but it's another thing to apply the word Bible says, because many people can quote some portion of the Bible, but it's another thing to apply the Word of God to your life. You'll always live under your potential until you learn to apply what God said in His Word to your life.
Speaker 1:Why live like a pauper when you're a child of the King? Why complain about your condition when God wants to change it? There's no problem with the Word. The problem is in us trusting the Word and don't worry what the circumstances look like. Don't listen to what the skeptics say. Don't let the doctors have the final say in your life. Lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus and He'll bring you through. There's no sickness too great for God to heal, because he's never seen a sickness that he couldn't heal. Yeah, finally, god has never seen a sinner that he couldn't save.
Speaker 1:A sin is an awful thing. It separates men from God. An unconfessed sin keeps men and women from seeing the glories of heaven. Romans 6.23 says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. God has never seen a person that was so bad that he couldn't forgive. Nor has he seen a person who sinned so little that he didn't need forgiveness.
Speaker 1:I think about John Newton. John Newton was a slave trader and a drug addict. They literally had to lock him in a cage. But one day John Newton met God. He met the God of forgiveness, and from that experience he wrote some stuff down. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. T'was blind, but now I see. I think about men like Mel Trotter, who was an alcoholic of the worst kind. His little girl had passed away and during the funeral, through the back door, came Mel Trotter. You could smell the stench of stale whiskey on him as he entered that funeral parlor and he went up to that little girl's casket and he reached in and he removed her shoes so that he could buy some more cheap whiskey and he turned around and walked out. But one day he met Jesus and he found out what freedom was all about and he became one of the greatest ministers to reach out to the alcoholics in Chicago.
Speaker 1:Then I know of one who was never an alcoholic or a drug addict. He was just a person who at one time was a man of God, who lived a moral life until he didn't. And he still had the stain of sin in his heart. And the one evening, during a deliverance service, he saw the need to recommit his life to God one more time. And there, in that service, he recommitted his life and he was truly born again, and now he walks in freedom and he's talking to you right now.
Speaker 1:Not one of us deserve to be saved, but God, in his mercy, does not give us what we deserve. Instead, god's grace gives to us what we don't deserve, and that's love and forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ. So what is it today that you need? Do you have a need or do you need to be healed? Is it forgiveness that you need need to be healed? Is it forgiveness that you need? God is right here right now to do in you what needs to be done.
Speaker 1:I know this seems short today, but that's okay. It reminds me of 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we're wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work, and that's what we've done.
Speaker 1:Sometimes a message can be short, sometimes it can be long, just like people, some are tall, some are short. I think this man said it best and even though you can't hear or see them at all, a person's a person, no matter how small. I hope this message today touched you. I hope the word of God has filled you. I want you to remember to come back next week. It's our one year anniversary show and I think it's going to be great. I believe it will. I have faith and, because of your faithfulness in listening, we get a year anniversary show. I think it's great.
Speaker 1:Well, that's all for this week's show. You know, the name of this show speaks my hope for you. It's taken from the words of Romans, chapter 12, verse 2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. If you enjoyed what you heard, do me a favor, please, and tell someone you know about it. Send them a link in a text you know. You may even need to download it to their phone and show them what a podcast is. If it was valuable to you, it will be to them.
Speaker 1:Visit renewedmindsetscom to hear past episodes, read the blog and check out the new merch. To hear past episodes, read the blog and check out the new merch. And, as always while you're there, send me a voicemail by clicking the button at the bottom right corner of the main page. Tell me what you think about this show. I just might play it on a future episode. Until next week, I'm Rick. I love you. See ya. The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready? By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready? Copyright 2002, offbeat Ministries Incorporated. Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes. Music used with permission.