redefine you - Dennis Burke Ministries

God’s grace willredefineyouthe power sourcefor lasting changeby Dr. Dennis BurkeFor the Christian whoreally wants to live ina way that is pleasingto God, the frailties ofthe flesh can be verydistracting. So often people try to fighttheir flesh and control themselves with willpower.They may even quote a few scriptures to boost theirefforts. But in the end, they fail to win this war overtheir flesh because they never discover the powersource for lasting change.When Paul wrote his letters to the church inCorinth, he was dealing with many issues that neededto be changed. Some people were running afterstrange doctrines; others were in flagrant immorality.In response, the Apostle Paul corrected theCorinthian believers regarding marriage, the workingof the Holy Spirit, the love of God, and much morein his letters to the church.As Paul concluded his second letter to theCorinthians, he summarized for them how hisinstructions and revelations could be lived out intheir lives. Notice the very last verse he wrote thesebelievers:“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the loveof God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit bewith you all” (2 Cor. 13:14).In this final statement, Paul laid out three aspectsof our Christian lives that are vital in effecting thekind of ongoing and lasting change that redefines ourlife from within: the grace of Jesus, the love of Godand the communion with the Holy Spirit. Let’s lookat these three aspects more closely.

Insights | 3First, Paul commended the Corinthian believers to thegrace of the Lord Jesus. Grace is the divine influence of Godin our inner man and the reflection of that influence beingdemonstrated in our lives.It was by grace that Jesus always did the things that pleasedHis Father. According to Luke 2:52, Jesus grew in grace. Hiswords were gracious, or filled with grace. Hebrews 2:9 tells usthat it was by the grace of God that Jesus tasted death for allof us.John 1:17 reveals that grace and truth have come to usthrough Jesus Christ. The same divine influence that directedand empowered Jesus has been given to us. It is this grace thatstrengthens and enables us to overcomeGod’s grace canbe found in Hispresence. His gracewill help us everytime we face a needif we will come tothe throne of graceand obtain it.every weakness and to change anywrong habits we may have been livingwith for too long.In Second Corinthians 12, theApostle Paul wrote of a time when heasked God to remove an evil spirit thathad come to attack him. God replied,“My grace is sufficient for you, for Mystrength is made perfect in weakness”(v. 9).God’s grace is all we need toovercome any attack against us orchange anything within us. There is anendless supply of His grace availableto us when we embrace it by faith inGod’s Word.Paul goes on to say in verse 9, “…Therefore most gladlyI will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christmay rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, inreproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’ssake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10).If God’s grace enables us to be strong both when we areweak and when we are strong, then by His grace, we never needto be weak again.This is the key to standing strong against opposition —standing in God’s grace. As Romans 5:2 points out, “…we haveaccess by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice inhope of the glory of God.”The grace we are to stand in is accessed by faith. Faith inGod and His Word puts us in the position to know and receiveHis divine grace. And with that grace comes the power andability to overcome every infirmity, reproach, need, persecution,or pressure that may come against us.In light of that truth, Hebrews 4:14-16 has even greatermeaning:“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who haspassed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us holdfast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest whocannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all pointstempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore comeboldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy andfind grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).Jesus faced the same temptations as we do today, but neveronce did He yield to them. He resisted them and did what Henow invites us to do — come boldly to the throne of grace forthe strength to overcome!God’s grace can be found in His presence. His grace willhelp us every time we face a need if we will come to the throneof grace and obtain it.The second aspect Paul pointed to is the love of God.This kind of love is very different than natural human love.This is God’s unconditional love. His love for us is completeand never-ending. In Jeremiah 31:3, it is described as His“everlasting love.” This love God has for us isn’t based on ourperformance but rather on His nature andHis unchanging desire to give Himself to us.God so loved the world that He gave — andHe continues to give Himself to each of usevery day.Our life of love stems from the deepknowledge of God’s love for us. When weknow we are loved unconditionally by Him,we can in turn love others unselfishly. Themore we know God, the more we grasp thelove He has for us. He is love, and nothingHe does is outside of love. This love is at thecore of everything God does, and nothingcan change that.Look at what Romans 8:35–39 (NLT)There is an endlesssupply of His graceavailable to us whenwe embrace it byfaith in God’s Word.

4 | Insightssays about God’s unconditional love for us:“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does itmean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or arepersecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened withdeath? (Even the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed everyday; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is oursthrough Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothingcan ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t.The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, ourworries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keepGod’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in thedeepest ocean, nothing in all creation willever be able to separate us from the loveof God that is revealed in Christ Jesusour Lord.”This revelation of God’s love liberatesus to be the people He designed us to be.We are free in Him to show His love andbecome a giver just as He is.First John 4:11–12 (NLT) says, “Dearfriends, since God loved us that much, wesurely ought to love each other. No onehas ever seen God. But if we love eachother, God lives in us, and his love hasbeen brought to full expression throughus.” People may not see God, but His lovecoming through us reveals God.You’ve tried and failed…more than once.You know you can’t possibly succeed onyour own. So how do you get from where you are towhere you want to be? In this 4-CD series you’ll discover howto access God’s grace to turn your weaknesses into strengths,your dreams and God’s plans for your life into reality and beginsupernaturally taking off the limits with God’s grace!To order, call 1-800-742-4050 or visit DennisBurkeMinistries.orgGrace that Takes You Beyond Your Abilityby Dr. Dennis Burke | 4-CD series | $24 | CD35We areempoweredto rise aboveanything lifethrows at usby God’spower thatalready resideswithin.The final aspect of this triune life to which Paul commends usis in our fellowship with the Holy Spirit.Fellowship comes from a word that is translated severaldifferent ways in the New Testament. Thayer’s Greek Definitionsdefines this word as: fellowship, association, community,communion, joint participation, or intercourse. It includes theidea of shared intimacy.A person who communes with the Holy Spirit is one who isactively seeking to receive the guidance, insights, and directionof the Holy Spirit. This is someone who is working togetherwith the Holy Spirit, jointly participating in bringing His plansinto existence. Such a person will find that the fruit of the Spirit,detailed in Galatians 5:22–23, is growing andbecoming more evident in his life.“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Againstsuch there is no law.”This verse provides the truest descriptionof a holy life. It is the expression of the HolySpirit coming through one’s human spirit toreveal His ways and work.Adam Clark’s commentary says this ofthis fellowship of the Holy Spirit: “Thispoints out the astonishing privileges of truebelievers: they have communion with God’sSpirit; share in all its gifts and graces; walk inits light; through Him they have the fullestconfidence that they are of God, that He istheir father and friend, and has blotted out all their iniquities: thisthey know by the Spirit which He has given them.”The great work that God has done in us must become areality to us. It isn’t merely a matter of trying harder to do thingsGod’s way. It is learning how to live life out of the new natureborn within us. The Holy Spirit is at work to transform us intothe image of Jesus.In Philippians 1:6, Paul wrote, “Being confident of this verything, that He who has begun a good work in you will completeit until the day of Jesus Christ.” Then in Philippians 2:13, he said,“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for Hisgood pleasure.”Finally, Second Corinthians 3:18 in the Amplified Bible saysit this way: “And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we]continue to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the gloryof the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very ownimage in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory toanother; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”The power for lasting change is already born inside of us. Thedeposit God made in us has filled us with His grace and power.We are empowered to rise above anything life throws at us byGod’s power that already resides within.His grace truly is more than enough.Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture references are taken from theNew King James Version of the Bible.

FindingyourwayGod’swayby Vikki BurkePsalm 32:8 says, “I will guide youalong the best pathway for your life.I will advise you and watch over you.”The Lord promises not only to guide uson the best path for our lives, butalso to advise us all along the way.

Point & click and change a life“I am a member of ICFM and I look forward every morningto Vikki’s devotional. Every morning the Holy Spirit wakes me up to visit and pray. I sit here reading yourdevotional every morning and while doing so the Holy Spirit will bring to mind someone I know who wouldbenefit greatly by reading it. So, I forward it to them. Yesterday, I emailed your devotional to a long timefriend who emailed me back that it was what he needed for the day’s business. As a result his stockannounced an increase of $2.38 per share in one day and the doors of opportunity just opened widefor him last night. I believe God used your devotional yesterday to exhort my friend in the meetingsyesterday and last night he and his son were personally invited to join in a meeting of engineers andscientists to negotiate contracts with my friend’s company. Vikki, you are a blessing to more than youknow and probably won’t know until you get to heaven. “Subscribeto our dailydevotionalemails:—Gary PunchesLog on now to DennisBurkeMinistries.orgWhen God makes a promise to us, He is faithful to fulfill it,for He cannot lie. Just as He never failed to lead the childrenof Israel along their journey, He will certainly be faithful to leadus, His blood-bought children, every step of our way. Just as Heguides the stars in the heavens, He can be trusted to guide usinto His will.Although Romans 8:14 says, “For all who are led by theSpirit of God are children of God,” many Christians makedecisions based on a variety of other factors besides the leadingof the Spirit. Some pursue their self-made plans without evenconsulting the Lord. Others are led by their feelings andemotions, even though the Bible never says we are to be led byhow we feel. Still others make decisions based on an unstableeconomy, current government policies, or other externalcircumstances. But the devil can govern and influence thesenatural areas because he is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).Therefore, when believers make their decisions based on thesenatural indicators, they invariably come to wrong conclusions.The Apostle Paul provides us with a good example of onewho learned how to tap into the All-knowing One for wisdomin his everyday life. Paul had received few details after the HolySpirit compelled him to go to Rome and stand before Caesar— only that prison and suffering lay ahead. That’s not the kindof information most Christians want to hear about their future,but Paul wanted only to hear the Lord say, “Well done.”The ship carrying Paul to Rome had docked after many daysof dangerous sailing. As the crew prepared to go further, Paulwarned them: “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end withdisaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but alsoour lives” (Acts 27:10 NKJV).Paul’s warning wasn’t heeded. In that journey to Rome,the crew responsible for the voyage were led by a variety ofsense-ruled means — their own natural reasoning, the crowd,others’ expert advice, circumstances — and they all suffered theconsequences for their wrong decision.First, Julius, the centurion responsible for taking Paul safelyto Rome, was persuaded by the helmsman’s opinion rather thanmaking the decision for Paul’s safety himself. He was influencedby the so-called expert helmsman and ignored Paul’s warning.However, experts don’t always know what lies ahead —Come into the depthof relationship you’vealways wanted!As the Holy Spirit reveals His presence to you, Hedevelops the fruit of the Spirit, making you fruitful.He creates sensitivity to His impulses and as a resultyou will rise to new dimensions of His power.Welcome Him and embrace His ways with awilling heart. He longs to pull you into a deeperrelationship—a dimension of restoration, peace andpower made available to you through Jesus Christ.To order, call 1-800-742-4050 or visit DennisBurkeMinistries.orgLearning to Yield to the Holy Spirit |by Dr. Dennis Burke | 3-CD series | $18 | CD22

upcomingmeetingsbut the Holy Spirit does, so be wary offollowing experts! Remember, BernieMadoff was considered an expert in theinvestment world, and when he failed,everyone who had followed his expertadvice suffered.Second, they reasoned, “…FairHavens was an exposed harbor — a poorplace to spend the winter…” (v. 12). Itseemed reasonable to the crew to sailon to a harbor with less exposure fromthe winter. Their failure to listen toPaul exposed them to greater danger. ButPaul perceived…Paul had a God-givenassignment that heknew he must fulfill.Nothing could stop him—not human reasoning,not the crowd, notcircumstances, noteven the experts.It’s just as dangerous for us to allowour intellect, reasoning, or naturalunderstanding to lead us. Proverbs3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with allyour heart; do not depend on your ownunderstanding. Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take.”If we want to know the right path to takein every situation, we cannot lean on ourown knowledge.Third, another mistake was madeon board Paul’s ship when “…most ofthe crew wanted to go to Phoenix…”(v. 12). Jesus warned us that “the gateto destruction is wide, and the roadthat leads there is easy to follow. A lotof people go through that gate” (Matt.7:14 CEV). Why is the road so wide? Toaccommodate the vast number of peoplewho walk that way. We always make amistake when we follow the crowd!Fourth, the crew was also led bycircumstances. Verse 13 (NKJV) says:“When the south wind blew softly,supposing that they had obtained theirdesire, putting out to sea, they sailed closeby Crete.” The south wind blowing softlysounds so inviting. But circumstancesare unreliable and can change abruptly— without warning. As Christians, wemust know from the Holy Spirit whatto do instead of following circumstances!Look what happened after the softblowing wind lured the crew of that shipout to sea: “But the weather changedabruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength(a “northeaster,” they called it) caught theship and blew it out to sea. They couldn’tturn the ship into the wind, so they gaveup…” (vv. 14–15).When we are led by ourreasoning or by circumstances,we can get ourselves so faroff center that the devil willtry to convince us that it’shopeless — that we’re too fargone to get back on track. Ifwe continue to think like that,we will continue to be carriedfurther off course. Thingscan get out of control quicklyand seem impossible to turnaround. That’s when peoplebecome hopeless. Notice howdesperate the circumstanceslooked to those on board thisship: “Then, when for several days neithersun or stars were seen and the terrific galestill harassed us, the last ray of hope wasnow vanishing” (v. 20 Weymouth).I guess Paul just couldn’t resist tellingthe “experts” that they should have listenedto him in the first place. Sometimes itjust feels good to say, “I told you so,”doesn’t it? Then he informed these“experts” that an angel had stood beforehim and guaranteed their lives wouldbe saved. The crew was encouraged —but not because the circumstanceslooked any better. There was no physicalevidence that anything had changed.But an angel of God had spoken to Paul.Now the apostle had the crew’s attention!Doubt was replaced by hope! Notice whatthe angel told Paul: “…Don’t be afraid,Paul, for you will surely stand trial beforeCaesar!...” (v. 24).Paul had a God-given assignment thathe knew he must fulfill. Nothing couldstop him — not human reasoning, notthe crowd, not circumstances, not eventhe experts. Paul had three witnesses:continued on backdennis & vikki burkeJanuary 9–10River of Life Church377 Direction Connection DriveRossville, GA 30741 | 706-891-2120January 16Omega Church | 3737 RooseveltSan Antonio, TX 78214 | 210-923-2220January 30–31Light of the World Christian Center3301 SW Gage Blvd.Topeka, KS 66614-3814 | 785-271-1010February 6Vikki Burke | Victory Church21 Bayberry LoopPurvis, MS 39475 | 601-544-8485February 13–16Faith Family Fellowship420 N. Wakea AvenueKahului, HI 96732808-244-4992February 20–21Solid Rock Church2917 East Sixth St.Stillwater, OK 74076405-743-4128February 27–March 1Heritage of Faith Family Church52406 Highway 12Frisco, NC 27936 | 252-995-6677God is looking for waysto bring His best and Hisincrease into your life.He has not forgotten you and it is timefor the increase of the people ofGod to be, “exceeding abundantlyabove all that we ask or think”.Breaking Financial Barriersby Dr. Dennis Burke | book | $6 | B12To order, call 1-800-742-4050 or visitDennisBurkeMinistries.org

continued from pg. 71) the Holy Spirit was compelling him to go to Rome (Acts23:11); 2) Ananias was told that Paul would stand before kings(Acts 9:15); and 3) Agabus the prophet said that Paul would bedelivered into the hands of the Gentiles” (Acts 21:11). It wasclear to Paul that he had a divine appointment in Rome and thatnothing could deter him.The same is true for us. When we know our God-givenassignment, nothing will detour us. Knowing our assignment givesus confidence that God will move Heaven and earth to make sureour divine appointment is kept. Human reasoning won’t stop us;circumstances won’t hinder us; and the opinions of others, even theexperts, won’t influence us — as long as we know what God hasassigned us to do.The people on board that ship carrying Paul to Romehadn’t seen the sun or the stars for weeks. But the day after theangel spoke to Paul, an island came into view. Look how thecircumstances changed — overnight! Things can get better in ahurry when God is on our side!After they landed on the island, Paul was gathering sticks fora fire when a poisonous snake bit him on the hand. The peoplesaw the snake hanging from his hand and said to each other,“A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice willnot permit him to live” (Acts 28:3). Notice how the circumstancescaused these people to jump to conclusions as they reasoned,“Obviously he is a murderer.”But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed.His divine appointment grew closer with every passing moment.He was moved forward by his God-given assignment, notby circumstances.The people waited for Paul to swell up or to suddenly dropdead, but when they had waited a long time and saw that hewas unharmed, they changed their minds and decided he was agod. People are so fickle! One moment they were convinced bycircumstances that Paul was a murderer — and the next momentthat he was a god. This is what happens when people form theiropinions by what they see.Paul had an advantage over everyone on board the ship — notbecause he was an apostle, but because the Holy Spirit lived withinhim. Paul responded to the perceptions of the Spirit; he obeyed themessage from the angel and all their lives were spared.We are living in dangerous days in which it is critical to be ledby the Holy Spirit as we fulfill our God-given assignments, just asPaul was led by the Spirit on that perilous voyage to fulfill whatGod had called him to do. As we call upon our Divine Helper, Hewill be there to assist and to guide us through every situation weface in life.Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures come from the New LivingTranslation of the Bible.We need your help!Please help us curb unnecessary waste and expense by sending your change of address.Write or E-mail us at dbm@dennisburkeministries.org. If your household currently receivesmore than one copy of Insights magazine, please notify us.January/February 2011 Insights—The Way to a New Life is published bimonthly by Dennis Burke Ministries,a nonprofit corporation, Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. ©2011 Dennis Burke Ministries. All rights reserved.Editorial Consultant: Cynthia D. Hansen. Design: Michael Saltar, SaltarCreative.com. Reproduction of thispublication in any manner, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher is prohibited.Insights—The Way to a New Life and the logo on this publication are trademarks of Dennis BurkeMinistries, in the United States of America and in international countries where Insights—The Way to a NewLife circulates. Printed in the United States of America. For a free subscription, please write to Dennis BurkeMinistries, P.O. Box 150043, Arlington, Texas 76015. Visit our website at DennisBurkeMinistries.org.Secrets to Financial Freedom |Return Service RequestedA Biblical,Common SenseapproachLearn in this series:• 21 things you can do todayto cut the fat• 10 steps for getting started• How to reduce debt withoutincreasing your income• You must get real before youcan get rich• Create a personal financial plan• Set yourself up for success• Learn to use money to honorGod and honor yourself.By Dr. Dennis Burke | 4-CD series | $24 | CD79To order, call 1-800-742-4050 or visit DennisBurkeMinistries.orgDennis Burke MinistriesP.O. Box 150043Arlington, TX 76015Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDArlington, TexasPermit No. 253