Tag: transformed
Day 5–Not One Word Failed!
Scripture reading for April 24: 1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the Lord Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke by Moses His servant.” 1 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
Solomon spoke this Word of Truth to the congregation as they dedicated the temple that his father David had planned and provided for and he had been allowed to build. He reminded God’s people of His faithfulness to His Word. God’s Word would stand any test of time and is not dependent on our faithfulness but on God’s Holy character. He is a God of Truth. He is not a man that He should lie. (Numbers 23:19) Heaven and earth would pass away, but His Word would never perish. (Matthew 24:35)
In my nearly eighty years of my journey through earth’s wilderness, I have learned and continue to learn God’s Word is gold! What He has said, He will do. What He promises, He will deliver. This includes all blessings coming by faith as well as the curses brought on through disobedience and unbelief. God watches over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12)
Worship is our response to His goodness and promises and the fulfilment of them through His faithfulness. “Blessed be the Lord” was Solomon’s cry before God’s people. God’s presence had filled the temple with His Glory, causing the priest to not be able to even stand up outside the holy place. But now, we who believe in Jesus Christ, are being transformed by the Holy Spirit into greater degrees of glory into the image of Christ Jesus.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing Word and Your faithfulness to fulfill it. Help me to walk in rest and peace and freedom as I respond to those in need. Thank You for supplying all my needs according to Your riches in Glory in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Transformed by grace and love!
Scripture reading for September 24: 1 Timothy 1
“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. I thank Him Who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Jesus Christ.” 1 Timothy 1:8-14
Timothy pastored the church at Ephesus founded by Paul years earlier but now faced attacks from false teachers who were introducing Jewish law along with faith. Paul began by encouraging Timothy to stay true to the Gospel of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. He must continue to teach sound doctrine and warn those who were deviating from the truth of God’s Word. Paul, a former Pharisee, told Timothy about the purpose of God’s law. It was given to reveal sin in those caught in sin, those who were lawless and disobedient. For increased clarity, Paul went over some of the disobedience that the law revealed. He pointed out those specifically mentioned in God’s law: disrespecting parents, murderers, sexually immoral, homosexuals, enslavers, liars, and perjurers.
Paul told Timothy that he, himself, had been a law-breaker and blasphemer of God as a religious Jew. Jesus confronted him and he repented. God then appointed him to service in spite of his law-breaking. In Christ Jesus and through the Gospel there is hope for all sinners to find grace. Paul received mercy and through Christ’s love and grace he came to faith and now served the God he had blasphemed! That is the message of overflowing love and grace through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross of Calvary entrusted to all ministers and disciples of Jesus.
Are you grounded in the sound doctrine of the Gospel of God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ? Have you ever tried to add your own human effort or works to help God save you? Have you been involved in any of the sins listed by Paul and felt that God could never use you?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the revelation of Your love and mercy in Jesus Christ and His death for us on the cross. Thank you for sending faithful ministers of Your Word to instruct me in sound doctrine and faith and grace. Use me as You desire to teach others sound doctrine by my ministry and life. Amen.
Ever-increasing glory!
Scripture reading for September 20th: 2nd Corinthians 3
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 3:9-15 “For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.”
Paul was explaining the difference between the Old Covenant of Law mediated by Moses when he met with God face to face on the mountain and the New Covenant of righteousness by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant came with glory–a blazing fire kindled by God’s holy presence and a holy glow on Moses’ face when he came from his meeting with God. The glow would gradually fade away so Moses put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the glory fade away. Paul stated that this same veil is still over the Israelites that rejected Christ and the veil is only removed by faith in Christ. When one turns to the Lord, the Holy Spirit brings liberty from the law of sin and death and the fading glory and gives us access to God’s holy presence. We can behold His face and be permanently transformed with glory that is ever-increasing! Halleluiah! Let me in on this!
2nd Corinthians 3:16-18 “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord Who is Spirit.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for the New Covenant provided for us through the blood sacrifice of Your Son on our behalf. Thank You for removing the veil from our minds and hearts and allowing us to behold Your transforming glory. Do whatever You desire to transform me into Your image by the Holy Spirit, from glory to glory!
Hebrews 10:12-14 “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Repentance removes the veil!
Scripture reading for September 18th: 2nd Kings 21, 2nd Chronicles 33, Psalm 71, 2nd Corinthians 3
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 3:15-18 “Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord Who is Spirit.”
Paul explained that the Old Covenant Law came with a fading glory. Moses had to put a veil over his face so that the fading glory would not be visible to the Israelites. Their hearts were hard and the Law brought death. But now the New Covenant of eternal life through the Holy Spirit brings life and access for each believer into the Holy of Holies to behold Jesus. We have freedom to enter through the Spirit and Jesus’ blood covering our sins. The veil was torn from top to bottom when Jesus cried: “It is finished!” We are all being transformed by Jesus’ glory into His image by the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!
Psalm 71:19 “Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You Who have done great things, O God, Who is like You?”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for purchasing my freedom to enter Your presence and behold Your glory. Transform me today by the Holy Spirit into Your image. Let the glory increase to Your eternal glory!
2nd Chronicles 33:12-13 “And when he (Manasseh) was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and he humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to Him and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.”
God’s mercy inspires devotion!
Scripture reading for June 30th: Romans 12
“Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22) Paul had warned the Gentile believers and churches severely concerning their continuance in the kindness of God. God would not show favorites! He cut off the Jews who did not believe in Christ or continue in faith and He would also judge believers who fell away from trusting in God’s mercy!
“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. 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.” (Romans 12:1-2)
It is God’s mercy to us that inspires our devotion. As we understand how good and kind God has been to us through the sacrifice of His Son, we offer our bodies to Him as a sacrifice. Christ was the final blood sacrifice, and now in the New Testament times we are urged to willingly become ‘living sacrifices’! We no longer use our bodies to promote our selfish desires but learn what pleases God through prayer and studying His Word.
Our minds must be renewed because our thinking determines our actions! In order to test and approve God’s good and perfect will, we must train our minds by studying and memorizing His word. Through a dedicated body and a renewed mind that is transformed to think God’s thoughts we will please Him and continue in His mercy!
Transformed from Saul to Paul!
Scripture reading for June 13th: Acts 9:1-25
What was your conversion like? I remember going to an altar at the little Methodist church on a Thursday night youth meeting in response to the Gospel. I heard the message and knew I needed to make a commitment. I remember the feeling of change and the excitement of knowing sins forgiven. We should all think back and remember our time of change! God saw fit to record the change in one of His servants, Saul, in today’s reading.
Saul was a Pharisee, zealous for the Jewish tradition. He saw in the Christians a threat to His traditions and became very zealous to rid the world of them. To his way of thinking, these people needed to be eliminated. He went to the high priest and got letters authorizing him to arrest any of this sect he called ‘the Way’. (Acts 9:1-2)
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute Me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:3-6) Saul was personally confronted by Jesus as he went to round up more Christians. Jesus told him who He was and that his actions were against Him! The revelation of Jesus was in a bright light that flashed like lightning around Saul. When he got up to go, he was blind and those with him had to lead him into the city by the hand, where Saul prayed and fasted for three days.
In Damascus, another disciple named Ananias was given a vision of the Lord. As he responded, the Lord told him to go to the house where Saul was praying and lay hands on him to restore his sight. Ananias told the Lord his concerns, but he was reassured and sent to Saul. “Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” (Acts 9:15-16) Saul’s sight was restored and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized in water. The miraculous conversion would change the world!