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Transformed

12 Jul

Transformed

Romans 12:2 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.

I have been spending some time in Romans, yesterday coming to this chapter that defines the Christian life and how to live it. Paul presents the summary of how we are to live our lives in just two short sentences; sacrificial love focused only on the One who provides eternal life. Yesterday seemed to bring an internal challenge of a life focused on the present, the problems of the day. Anxiety crept in late in the day, but a late night sermon and focus fought away that demon and rest was gained. This morning the problems of the day loom early, the demon of anxiety tries to awake; the demon tugs to focus on the things of this world and to steal my joy from the day. My mind races at 100mph in these early hours; a war between my ears of good and evil. I have come to expect and accept these battles at times like these; it lets me know I am in the center of God’s Will for me and my life in His Word and this keyboard. All my struggles can be used for good; God can take that which Satan means to draw my eyes away from Him, and draw me closer to Him. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Anything that I openly endure, can all be used to show you God’s mercy, grace, love, and provision for whatever I face. These bouts of anxiety and sometimes depression can all be used to point you to God; to show you how He gives me what I need in all of it. Suffering is only for a minute, and paradise is eternal.

All that I humbly do before you is to attest to the power of a changed life by seeking God every day in His Word and prayer. I lived the life in pursuit of all the lusts of the world for many years. I pursued anything and everything and idolized many things. I lived my life for the moment and the pleasures found in it. God was always a future plan I thought I had, on my timetable. My world changed with a great church and the realization of my sin. The sanctification process began in me, and my life truly changed when I began to read God’s Word every day. I lived my life in pursuit of Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. With that daily pursuit of Him first; arising early, and in prayer and His Word will change you. He will begin to reveal Himself to you like never before. All that you seek will be answered by the One who has all the answers. The renewing of your mind is found in  The Word. The key to a life that is not conformed to the world, is found in the Word. A genuine, humble heart that seeks God will find Him there, and come to understand more of Him there, and come to live their lives in pursuit of more of Him there

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Posted by on July 12, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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A passage that stands out

11 Jul

A passage that stands out

 Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 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.

There are times in the Bible that you wish were more than even the words of Christ that may be highlighted in red. The scriptures that stand alone; key passages that give you key points of how to live your life as a Christian; Romans 12 is one of those passages. You must “get it” to learn to live how God desires you to live. I love how The Message translation describes this passage:
Romans 12:1 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2 Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Anytime that you see a “therefore” in a passage, you must read the prior scriptures to understand it’s meaning. Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen. Paul summed it up in 11:36, but my ESV commentary points out that the Therefore is really pointing to all of Paul’s argument thus presented in Romans. Christ speaks to John in the Book of Revelation with that same summary that Paul speaks of in 11:36. Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” You must come to a point in your life that you truly begin to grasp how great God is; how great is his mercy for not giving you what you deserve; how great is his grace in giving you what you do not. How great he is as the Sovereign Ruler of the universe; the Creator and the Sustainer. Only in this understanding will come a life that desires to life as a Romans 12 Christian. You must grasp Paul’s argument in the book of Romans prior, to move to that level of sacrifice He desires that Paul speaks of in Romans 12.

The New Living Translation puts it like this: Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. I have given you three different translations for this scripture, but I cannot speak to your heart. Prayerfully seek God in this scripture on your own; ask him to set you back in reverent awe of him, to produce in you that life that He desires you to live found in this passage.

 
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Posted by on July 11, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Recharging Batteries

03 Jun

Recharging Batteries

Romans 12:2 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.

This ol’ world we live in will run you down if you let it. The pressures of life, and the seemingly endless problems in life, can take the joy out of life, without Christ in your life. Satan does all that he can to take your eyes off the eternal reward; he wants you to dwell in the present tribulation, to sink into the despair of it, and blame God for it. With a heart for God, you will seek God in it, and your faith will grow and deepen; Satan’s plan backfires. Satan may even come to you as the worldly blessing; this is a slippery slope where the joy of it slowly takes your eyes off the Provider. You become wrapped up in it, and forget to praise the One whom gave it. Anything that takes your focus off Christ is from the enemy, but in it all you can use it against the enemy, in that realization of a heart for God.

The apostle Paul has just laid out the doctrines of Christianity and he is now about to lay out the duties of it. He is plainly speaking of how to live your life as a follower of Christ; how to become a disciple by which you are called. 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. You are not of this world any longer when you come to Salvation through Christ. You are to live your life differently; you are now a child of an eternal king; you are in-dwelt with His Spirit living inside you. That gut feeling you get sometimes is Him speaking to you; listen and obey. I still remember early in my walk, my pastor plainly putting it to me; “That gut feeling is the Holy Spirit pal.” That simple statement stuck with me; Christ is living inside me now.

I speak of getting my batteries recharged a lot. This world seems to suck the life power out of me, and it is through seeking God every day that I find His power to face the day. It can be in prayer, His Word, a conversation, an encounter with someone; it is always just the right thing, at just the right time. It gives me a renewed spirit; it renews my mind; it re-charges my spiritual batteries to face the world again. Matthew Henry describes it well, “It is the same with making a new heart and a new spirit-new dispositions and inclinations, new sympathies and antipathies; the understanding enlightened, the conscience softened, the thoughts rectified; the will bowed to the will of God, and the affections made spiritual and heavenly: so that the man is not what he was-old things are passed away, all things are become new; he acts from new principles, by new rules, with new designs.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. You too can recharge your batteries every day with a heart, mind, body, and soul that seeks Him daily. His power supply is endless and eternal.

 
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Posted by on June 3, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Light gathered in Words

23 Dec

Light gathered in Words

2 Peter 1:19-21    And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Some days in prayer and Gods Word, I feel this pressing upon me. A weight almost; a feeling I cannot describe. I do not feel as these scriptures above describe, but I do feel the weight of God speaking to me through them. I fully believe everything that I feel in God’s Word is available to you also. This is the power of God’s Word, a living word, that you can experience also when you seek Him in it every day. There are times in the Word that you cannot escape the scripture that lies before you. It stops you in your tracks; may convict you of sin; may shed light on a struggle; may open your eyes through your heart. When you take the time to slow down and read word for word, you gain a knowledge of your Lord. Peter was speaking as an eyewitness of God speaking to Christ in the verses prior; but the written Word is more powerful than the eyewitness account.

Our world is a dark place right now. Our world needs Christ’s lamps to shine light in this dark place right now. The more time you spend in God’s Word, the brighter your light becomes. God’s Word gives you a discernment for the darkness that lies in the world; it gives you the ability to see things for what the truly are; and many times this may be painful. Paul in Romans 12-14 speaks of putting on this Light and living like Christians. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. The time is at hand to act like a Christian, to walk the talk.

This time of the holidays bring us closer to family. Time to reconnect once or twice a year. Time to share life and love for each other. Do you share your faith with each other? Do you share everything else but your faith? If this is truly the meaning of Christmas, to share the birth of our Savior with all those we meet; are you the light in the darkness? This time of year is the best time of year to bring up your faith. You have the perfect reason to share it; for it is the season for it. God may place one of your family at your feet for this reason. Matthew 5:15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Share the hope and the Light that lives inside you; a light that someone that is very close to you needs in this dark world.

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Welll….I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night

08 Dec

Welll….I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night

Romans 12:3 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, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

I sat down this morning just to read the Bible. God stopped me at the first scripture I read above. The Holy Spirit has the ability to open your mind through your heart in God’s Word like no other book on earth; the reason it is called the Living Word. Pride is a root of my testimony, and God has been chipping away at it for years now. He is showing me how a humble heart is the key to a relationship with Him in all areas of my life. There should never be a point of elevating ourselves at any point in our Christian life. We should never seek the spotlight, and never take credit for achievements that were given to us. Pride has destroyed many ministries and many lives that became puffed up.

God has given you a gift; a special spiritual gift that separates you from others. I do believe that He gives more than one, but I do believe that there is one that stands above the rest. Paul speaks of these gifts in Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. The individual blessings of each individual make up the body of Christ that will perform the work of Christ like a well tuned motor. When each piece of a motor is properly tuned to perform just it’s one job well, the result is a maximum horsepower. Paul puts this analogy into the human body; Romans 12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Do you know what your gift is? Do you use it to draw glory to the One who gave it to you? Are you too busy doing something else that draws more attention; or trying to draw attention in everything? You are wasting God’s gift if you are not concentrating on it. My gift is writing; my gift is no greater than yours. 1 Corinthians 12:4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. I have chosen to concentrate on my gift and not try to do anything and every thing that comes around. I pray consistently for God to keep pride at bay; for Him to continue to keep me focused on where my gift comes from. I want no credit, but to give credit and glory to Him early morning every single day. Find your gift and give God 100% dedication in drawing glory to Him with it.

 
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Posted by on December 8, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Don’t be a 1hr noun

05 Dec

Don’t be a 1hr noun

Romans 12:1-2   I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 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.

The apostle Paul had been spending the previous chapters in Romans laying out the fundamentals of the Christian doctrine. He had spoken of the doctrine of justification, free grace, and the coming promises of glory to be revealed. Romans 12 begins to speak of our duties to live under these Christian doctrines. “I beseech you therefore,” ties to the preceding scripture. The ‘therefore’ is always a key word to the understanding of what you are about to read. You must back up to see the relation of that key word. Paul had summarized the doctrinal teaching in a powerful verse. Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. The deeper you return into prior Romans writing, the deeper your understanding of you duty as in Romans 12:1-2.

These scriptures could be unpacked for days, for Romans is the pinnacle of Paul’s writings. His call of Romans 12 is like that of Christ to His disciples in Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. How are we to deny ourselves anyway? Are we to sit at home in a room shut off from the rest of the world and read God’s Word? No, we are called to become disciples in Christ’s last words to us before He ascended into heaven. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Christ’s last words to you were a call to action. This call of action is not to just accept Him and to go to church on Sunday. Are you denying yourself as in Romans 12 and Luke 9; or are you denying God giving Him only an hour or two a week?

Being a disciple, denying ourself, living a life as that sacrifice is as simple as seeking God and the things of God every day. The more time you spend with God in His Word and prayer the easier this focus becomes. This self denial will be the product of the heart that truly loves God, and seeks to please him as a result. If you will make the conscious effort to do these things, God will take care of the rest. Christianity is a verb; not a noun sitting on a pew for an hour on Sunday. I have included a link to a powerful short video where I pray God will stir your heart.

 
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Posted by on December 5, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Who do they see?

21 Nov

Who do they see?

2 Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

This ministry is never to be my soap box, or in any way to have any hidden agenda. It is to be a platform to bring my every days actions, thoughts, and emotions into the light of Christ. It is to bring the struggles we all deal with every day to reveal what God is showing me in them. He is pointing out my faults and pointing me to Him. Last night at dinner we had a waitress that just opened up to us. We all three shared our faith with and encouraged each other. She even touched on her struggles at work as a Christian. We discussed the same feelings that a mark of Christianity is struggling right now; for we are going against the grain of the world. There was an immediate connection and God used me to encourage her I know; it was very humbling.

I am struggling just like so many of you in so many ways. It all can seem to be overbearing, more than I can handle at times, many times the only thing I can do is to go to sleep at the end of the day to escape. I awake the next day and God shows me things in His Word every morning to open my eyes through my heart. I do believe He has called me to a tough ministry; a ministry that will not make me popular; a ministry to tell the hard truth, and not the soft news that people want to hear. The Apostle Paul spoke of his dedication to spreading the news of Christ to the Corinthians; of giving it his all even when it costs him. Paul even spoke of the area of pride in the scriptures preceding (2:11-13). Paul also speaks of pride in Romans 12:3 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, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

How do you reflect Christ every day; do you reflect Christ? Do people know that you are a Christian without you telling them? The more time you spend in God’s Word the more time you will reflect Christ. The more time you spend in God’s Word the more you will see Christ at work around you. The more time you spend in God’s Word the easier it will become to hear God’s voice. John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. You cannot claim Christianity in an hour every Sunday. Christ called us to become a, and make others, disciples of His. Christianity is a verb; it requires action not simple passivity. My heart lies in prodding you to spend daily time with God. That action will cause everything else to fall into place; but it takes effort on your part.

 
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Posted by on November 21, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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I am…….

21 Sep

I am…….

Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that 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, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The apostle Paul had spent the chapters leading up to this addressing the differences in Israel and the Gentiles, and the lack of difference. God had allowed much of Israel to fall away and presented the Gospel to the Gentiles whom where beginning to believe. Many wandered if God had forgotten Israel. He has not, and His plans for Israel are to be fulfilled in eternity. Romans 10: 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Paul is trying to explain how we must be moved to a place of worship and reverent fear for God’s grace and mercy. In the middle of this writing he is moved to praise. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

The next verse is Romans 12 above. When the Bible was written, there were no chapters, or breaks in chapters. Paul has been building to show God’s glory on all mankind and how that realization should move you to a place of humble, sacrificial worship. That work you feel inside of you once you realize your spiritual state of sin, will knock your knees out from under you with that realization.  The mystery is revealed and you realize you are nothing without the One who created you, and the One who saved you. 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. If you have not come to the understanding of sin, and the need for a Savior from that sin, the Gospel of Christ has not done its work in your heart.

A religion that does not give you the bad news is not a religion that saves. It is a religion that “tickles your ears” and feels good, which results in the leading away. Broad is the path that leads to destruction, but narrow is the gate that finds paradise.  Once God opens your heart through the realization of Him; the realization of you in sin without Him; you will be truly transformed. Becoming a Romans 12 Christian will be the sacrificial acts you naturally desire to be for eternity.

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Romans 12 Lifestyle

03 Sep

Romans 12 Lifestyle

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This scripture is a simple sentence in a powerful closing statement to the passage of Romans 12. This passage of scripture is the insight to how to live life as a Christian. Of how to go against the grain of the world and live your life as a disciple of Christ. The opening statement in Paul’s letter is, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that 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, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1,2) To present yourselves as a LIVING sacrifice to God. To seek the will of God in your heart, mind, body, and soul. To pursue him with a heart that sees only the things of Him, and to seek to be obedient to what we see from Him.

When life reaches out and grabs us with its struggles, and it will,  remember Romans 12. That passage is a place to return to for God’s words on how to live your life as a Christian. It speaks of the struggles of life; of the different spiritual gifts we possess, and how to use those gifts for the glory of God. We must understand that their is strength in the light of God that we possess. We are told in Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. The more time you spend in God’s Word and seeking Him in prayer, the more light He places in you to defend yourself from the darkness. 1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Romans 12 is the “self help guide” to keep for quick reference. It would be a great place to start your own Bible study; a place for you to dig deeper into God’s Word. A place for God to reveal much more of Himself and yourself in those scriptures. As you spend more than a few minutes reading through the passage, you are showing God your desire for Him. He will reward you with a heart that sees more of Him in the scriptures. He will meet you there and your life will never be the same for when you find those encouraging words at just the right time; at some point you realize it is a word directly from God; and you get it.

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Ain’t Done Yet

02 Jun

Ain’t Done Yet

Philippians 1:6  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Project 639, section 4, article 6b – status – in process, uncompleted. Do you have a “to do” list like that? Projects started, improvements or repairs made, yet lacking completion? Dana could write a book on mine. What if your life was like that in God’s eyes? Once you believe in His Son and you accept the Grace you have been given, He has begun that work in you. John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” The first part of that ‘project’ is the accepting of Christ as the Savior of your soul, and the Grace that God has bestowed upon you. Grace is a free gift of something you don’t deserve, and surely are not ‘entitled’ to. Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Matthew Henry said, “ The work of grace is but begun in this life; it is not finished here; as long as we are in this imperfect state there is something more to be done.” So much of this work rests on and builds our faith. Our faith is the evidence of the hope and peace we possess now, and the security of the future we have with Christ. This building of our faith is a work of God and it will and should grow until Christ returns for us. Is there something in this world that is hindering your faith and Christian growth? Remove it; it is that simple. Let God grow you by removing those things that keep your relationship from growing with Him. Even in the trials of life He is at work in you. Rejoice in that work! Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. God will never start something and not complete it for He is a God of perfection and cannot lie. That includes you, once you find rest in His Grace and let him do His work.

 
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Posted by on June 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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