Reliance – Time For A Romans 12 Audit w/ Steven Menking
Listen to “Reliance – Time For A Romans 12 Audit w/ Steven Menking” on Spreaker.
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I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, when you present your bodies, a living space or Feis, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace, given to me, to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. The thing is soberly. As God has dealt to each one, a measure of faith for as we have the members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function.
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So we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another, having them gifts differing, according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy let us prophesize in proportion to our faith or ministry, let us use it in our ministering. He who teaches in teaching. He who exhorts in exhortation. He who gives with liberality. He who leads with diligence and he shows mercy with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy of horror. What is evil cling to what is good mean?
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Kindly affects you to one another with brotherly love and honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord or rejoicing in hope patient. Yeah, the tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep be of the same mind to ward another, do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble, do not be wise in your own opinion, repay no one evil for evil.
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You have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible as much as depends. Yeah, you live peaceably with all men, but you do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath for it is written. Vengeance is mine. I will repay says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink for in doing so. You will heap a fire in his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good Lauren, thank you for your word.
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Thank you for your promises. Thank you for strengthening us and giving us the faith that we need to hear from you. What you would want us to hear. Lauren, thank you for your Holy spirit and the many gifts that you have provided for us. Give us an opportunity here, Lord, to walk through the doors that you have opened to see clearly what you want us to see, to understand who you are and why the more about your character, what you’ve called us into in this key moment in this key generation, Lord, we love you.
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And we bless you and we are not able to you follow through on this guidance from your word. We are not able to bless those who persecute us in our own strength. We are not able to fulfill the giftings that you have given us by deploying them in our own strength. Lord. We are people who want vengeance and even in the name of justice, we have not followed fully this approach of blessing.
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One another of even preferring one another, our brothers and sisters, Lord, we have fallen short of this standard in so many ways at so many different times and little, we pray that you would forgive us for not adhering Lord to your standards, God, for falling short and for relying on our own strength. Lord, we know that we are unable to approach this level of righteousness in our own abilities, because it is only through you Jesus, through your Holy spirit, that we can and will become more and more righteous as we from image to image.
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And from glory to glory are transformed by you in conformation to your image. And Lord, we bless you. And we praise you when he asked for your forgiveness from a spirit of repentance Lord, for our unwillingness to even consider what your word says about these things and for the ease with which we take this for granted, and we go in a different direction.
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One that we make up or we follow others into, but God, we need your direction today. We need clarity from your throne and we need your guidance to a rule and reign in our lives. As you are Lord and savior Jesus, we bless you. We praise you. We ask for your Holy spirit to superintend on this conversation in Jesus name. Amen. How truly mighty magnificent, wonderful and powerful is the word of God.
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For who? Among us. When we hear the scriptures from Romans 12 can say yes, I have been fully dedicated to following through on what these passages say. Have we really been kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love? Have we really in honor been giving preference to one another? Have we really not lagged in diligence? Have we really been fervent in spirit? Have we really been serving the Lord?
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Have we at all moments rejoiced in hope? Have we even now been patient in tribulation? Have we continued steadfastly in prayer? Have we distributed to the needs of the saints? Are we given to hospitality? Have we blessed those who persecute us? Do we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep? Have we set our mind? Not on high things, but with the humble, have we avoided being wise in our own opinion?
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Have we really repaid no one evil for evil? Have we been able to live peaceably with all men? Have we avoided avenging ourselves? Have we truly overcome evil with good? I would say no. I know I haven’t. And so it’s an item of continued repentance for me and hopefully For all of us, but this is a call back holds vast verse 21 specifically in closing this chapter do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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We don’t have the ability to do that in our own strength and his so like the word of God to distill things, to place a burden that in our own strength is impossible. But with the supernatural, grace of God is something that we can not only bear but grow to love because it isn’t a burden. These are the instructions that will set us free because they put us in a position of having to be absolutely reliant on God.
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I often wonder what would happen in this world and what would happen even among the body of Christ. If God’s people took the word of the Lord with the seriousness that it deserved and just even really digested one chapter or just even really digest it and put into practice, even a handful of verses think how the world could change. The answers are already there. The solutions are already here. Jesus has already won the victory.
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We can make this progress, but we can’t just sit back and insist that it happens generally speaking, without conforming ourselves to this image. If we are truly going to take responsibility for this generation, the way that we are called to, because we will ultimately be held to account for the spiritual destinies of those who we have come across. If we are truly going to be in that position, standing before the throne, we must, and I must be able to say, Lord, I followed your word, but only by the strength that you gave me, I surrendered completely to you.
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I asked for you to Quicken my understanding for how to apply these different instructions in every situation that I come across. I’ve asked for forgiveness for falling short, I’ve asked for balance and restraint and just for the abiding love of Christ to minister through me, as I seek the Lord and as I pursue these principles and these goals, it’s not something that we can do in our own strength to bless those who persecute us.
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We just don’t have that in us. It’s not something that we can accomplish without the supernatural power of the Holy spirit. So brothers and sisters, it’s time to take an Audit Romans 12 Audit Time. Have we been aligned with these principles or have we moved away in some even small manner from what this is calling us into?
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This is a high calling. It’s a supernatural calling. It’s a priestly calling. It’s a kingly calling. It is a calling that is worthy of the sons and daughters of the God, of the universe, of the Lord, of all of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings in the Lord of Lords. He is in calling us into mediocrity. He is calling us into a negligible faith. He is calling us into a supernatural miracle, working massive faith beyond anything we could even imagine.
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And so I, for 1:00 AM glad that he is leading us into a situation where we must aspire to his righteousness, knowing full well that we are unable to do so. And that we are reliant on him for the grace to even begin to pursue that direction. He needs to transform our hearts. He needs to lead us. He needs to guide us and he gets all the glory for it. And so often we have seen situations where people and churches and even entire denominations have rested this scripture, particularly in verse 18, if it is possible as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men.
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Well, does that mean to conform to this world? Well, no. If we go back to verse two, it says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And so this renewing of our mind must put in us must, must take place prior ontologically prior to this effort to live peaceably with all men. Because if we do that without having our minds renewed and transformed by the Holy spirit, then we are going to resort to our own strength. And we are going to interpret living peaceably with all men as being a scenario where that means we should compromise that there shouldn’t be any position that we can’t move off of for the sake of living peaceably with others.
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If someone brings to us and issue or a conflict, we can simply say, well, I want to live at peace with everyone. So you’re right and I’m wrong. And I will, I will succumb that and I will even adjust my thinking. And I will, in the more extreme cases, then go about seeking to adjust the thinking of others so that we can improve upon this desire of living peaceably with all men. But that is not in keeping with the full counsel of God, even hear in this chapter.
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And that is part of what I mean by just trying to imagine the impact of what would happen if even a handful of verses were interpreted properly and then applied properly in a consistent fashion in people’s lives, lives, and families and communities and nations. And even this entire world would be transformed, never underestimate the power of the word of God, never underestimate the King, who we serve the victorious one, the alpha and Omega Jesus Christ, God himself.
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So let us have transformed and renewed minds. And then in that understanding, we should be arriving at a place of brokenness. You should be arriving at a scenario where we find ourselves wholly and entirely dependent on God to provide us these spiritual and supernatural resources. We’re called to live a supernatural life brothers and sisters.
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And as we’ve said, many times before, this doesn’t necessarily mean calling down visible, literal fire from heaven. What it means at least as far as I’ve experienced in my own personal testimony is allowing God to work in me. The process of transformation in my heart, where my behaviors, my ideas, my thought patterns, my reactions, my relationships, my words, my focus, my attention, my priorities, my worldview were, all of these things are transformed.
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Gradually. Sometimes a lot of transformation happens in one moment or at A at an a, in a short interval. Other times transformation takes a longer period of time. But if we are headed in the right direction, then we will be able to, as I can today, look back on the last six years, six and a half years of walking with a Lord and se he is faithful. His word is true. He’s never let me down.
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And my desire is to continue to aspire to this literal supernatural standard that he has set for us in the word of God. The level of righteousness that we are called into can only be accomplished by obedience to the Holy spirit, because the Lord is not going to call us into a particular type of demeanor or a particular type of activity interpreted properly without giving us the ability, the resources, and The the awareness to actually fulfill that calling God’s being omnipotent and all loving, precludes him asking and leading us into something that he isn’t going to properly equip us.
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For. Now, this doesn’t mean that in many cases, certain efforts can’t get derailed by things getting in the way God will equip us. But if we continue in the flash and we continue to conform ourselves to this world and we continue to take it upon ourselves and to work in our own strength and to lean on our own understanding, then we can’t be surprised when certain efforts get derailed, because there’s going to be an Avenue. There were weaknesses introduced.
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And so if we have unrepented sin in our lives, if we have damaged relationships, whatever, whatever we have that indicates to us that, that we are falling short of this Mark, that set in Romans 12 and each one of us is going to have it. I pray that the Holy spirit would bring these things to our attention so that we could deal with them right here. And right now I prayed that the Holy spirit would get quick. And something in your mind would give you a thought, a feeling, a memory would show you some way in which we have not lived up to this standard and would give you the softness of Hart and the desire for the Lord to ask him for forgiveness.
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And For the strength to forgive yourself for the faith to change behavior. And For the resources to learn from this particular experience in this lesson that the correction of the Lord is not only desirable. It’s one of the best things that we can focus on and attempt to bring on ourselves. The correction of the Lord is so incredibly important, and we still, for many different reasons have this idea of a restraint where we don’t want to bring something to the Lord.
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We don’t want to receive correction. We don’t have that kind of spirit. And if we don’t, then what kind of spirit do we have with respect to this? All of whom the Lord loves he chastens. And if we are brought into that position by the Holy spirit, then that is a hallmark of not only God’s love, but of the opportunity that we have to grow and to improve far to many of us are stuck in negative emotional patterns that result in stunted growth in protracted periods, where improvement and expansion in our ability to navigate the kingdom principles of God is truncated.
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It’s shortened. These, just this improvement, this transformation, this correction, this expansion of our faith. It all seems to elude us many for extended periods. Many for many years, even decades, I prayed that would not be the case for you today. I pray that you would truly allow the Holy spirit to speak these words into your heart and to allow them to resinate to the point where you understand the will of God towards you, that his purposes towards you are good, that his gifts and his callings, or without repentance, that he wants righteousness for you, that the righteousness that you need in order to accomplish these things can only be imparted by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, that you can only get to this stage in your walk with the Lord, by virtue of the Holy spirit that you have to continue to set aside.
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The just destructive impulses that get brought about by the world. And by remaining too focused on the ins and the outs of every different day sufficient to each day truly are the evils thereof. And if we are spending our time on that more so than ruminating and responding to the word of God in our hearts, then we are going to be at least partially walking a path that is a way from the kingdom.
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Now we have to deal with all of these different things. It truly is, and can feel like a complicated arrangement, a difficult scenario. How do we know what’s best? How do I know the will of God? How do I manage to deal with all of the obligations that have in front of my face? How can I make sure that my walk is where it needs to be, but in all that complexity in all of that uncertainty in all that confusion, if your heart is towards God, if you are seeking first, his kingdom never fear for he is going to add all of these other things until you bad things are going to happen.
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Great. Things are going to happen. Challenging times are going to come if they’re not already here, but you, you have a responsibility to the Lord and your responsibility is not to live up to this standard of righteousness in your own strength. Your responsibility is to immerse yourself in the word of God, to immerse yourself in prayer, to immerse yourself in the process of drawing close to the Lord and allowing the Lord to draw close to you.
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Even as you understand that, what he, what he sees and what he brings to you in calls you out from MEI, feel like it hurts, but that correction is absolutely necessary. So brothers and sisters, as we said before, it’s time for Romans 12 Audit, I’m going to read these verses again, and then I’m going to pray. And as I do, I’m prayed that the Holy spirit would Quicken one or more of these things to you so that we can all take a step forward in our face right here, right now, pray it, the Lord would bring correction in a word of wisdom and knowledge to us, and that he would soften our hearts and give us a spirit of repentance and a spirit of hunger, a spirit of desiring the Lord and earnestly needing to see him breakthrough in our lives and in our generation.
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So again, listen carefully to Romans 12 and ask yourself, where have I fallen short in these categories we all have. And so lets take this to the Lord, ask for his correction, pray for his righteousness and see what kind of transformation supernaturally will happen to our walk. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, then you present your bodies, a living sacrifice Holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
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Then you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than the OD to think that the thing is soberly, as God has dealt to each one, a measure of faith for as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function. So we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another having then gifts differing, according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.
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And prophecy, let us prophesy are in proportion to our faith or ministry. Let us use it in our ministering. He teaches in teaching. He exhorts an exhortation. He gives with liberality. He leads with diligence. He shows mercy with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy of horror. What is evil clean to what is good? Because kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord rejoicing in hope patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
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Bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do you not be wise in your own opinion, you pay no one evil for evil have regard for a good fit in the side of all men. If it is possible as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men, but love it. Do not vendor yourselves, but rather give place to wrath for it is written. Vengeance is mine.
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I will repay says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him via is thirsty. Given the drink for in. So doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good Lauren, thank you for the clarity that you bring from your word. Thank you for showing us Lord these places where we have fallen short Lauren, thank you for being willing and earnestly desiring of us, coming to you to seek an adjustment, to seek a transformation, to seek the power that only you have to change our hearts and the Lord.
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We thank you for your word that the clarity you provide is unsurpassed. That you have called us clearly into a firmer and a stronger and a deeper relationship with you and Lord the, you want to hear you
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Thank you Lord that you have an answer. Thank you, Lord that in you is fulfillment and fullness of life, right? Meaning and purpose. Thank you Lord that you are with us and that you will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you for your India. Fatigable promises. You were absolutely unchanging love and your incredible massive resources of faith that you stand willing to us.
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Lord, we believe that you are who you say you are. And we believe that you have called us into this generation to make a difference, to continue to work while it’s still light to provide to you our reasonable service to serve you Lord the way that you deserve. But we know that we can only do that when you provide us the supernatural and spiritual resources to lead us into truth and righteousness. So Lord, to help us fill us again, to overflowing with your Holy spirit, with the wisdom that only you can provide quick in your word to us, Lord, that we would see it as a beacon, as a crystal in absolutely perfectly transparent and clear message that we would know your will and that we would implement it through your grace and by your strength.
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We love you, Lord. We bless you. We worship you. You are worthy and truly worthy and Holy we praise you Jesus in your name. Amen.
