Transitional Transformation
Sunday’s Monday
Transitional Transformation
Another week of God’s grace and favor in my life! I had the privilege of spending some quality time with our daughter Teresa this week. God with the aid of one of my spiritual leaders granted me the honor of sharing a few results of His grace and mercy in my life thus far. Man, I love that!! To my joy God granted me a long-time dream (want) this week and I plan to use it for His glory. I shall post pictures of my gift from once it is complete.
God has given me the subject of transformation this week! As most of you know I spend some time each week on Facebook and the evil of politics is already becoming evident. I’m seeing people that appear to be good kind Christians exposing their fangs and lashing out with hurtful comments, and awful names for people that fail to share their opinion. Today I noticed A post which started a plethora of biblical remarks which sounded like childish babble. They were judging each other’s Christianity and getting more mean spirited with each. I know that there is a ton of church goers thinking they are transformed but it’s by the world standards and they have completely missed the transformation that Jesus offers.
Transformation in dictionary.com reads; change in form, appearance, nature, or character. The bible tells us in Colossians 3:9-10 (NLT), 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. This is speaking to the spiritual Godly transitional transformation! To help simplify things, Google dictionary defines transitional as; relating to or characteristic of a process or period of transition. This is where we learn to put off the old selfish sinful ways of this world and put on a new nature of love thy neighbor as Jesus does. Of course, one cannot do this without a daily heart change through study, meditation, prayer and a growing love to follow in His ways.
Unfortunately, it seems that politics has become one of Satan’s greatest tools, “of all time.” If there is any malice, hatred, bigotry, self-centeredness, any kind of evil lurking in the heart political discussions seem to be Satan’s best means of revealing it. Luke touches on this subject in, Luke 6:45 (ESV), The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. It reminds me of a saying that I heard somewhere, be careful what you say, someone just might be paying attention!
Politics has a particular way of awakening the sleeping evil that resides deep down inside of us and this is especially true of Christians. Paul says a lot about this subject in Romans 14:1-4 (ESV), As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. I suggest reading Romans 14 in its entirety to better gain an understanding of the devil’s trap to bring the worst from us.
The good news “no” the great news is alive and well! Jesus has given us the God given power to overrule Satan. Think about this; sitting in church every time the doors open only makes you a church goer, attending every church function merely makes you humanly dependable and your gifts and offerings may only gain you earthly recognition. However, the true agape love for Jesus kindles a transformation which helps one get beyond this carnal thinking. The bible tells us in, Ephesians 4:22-27 (ESV), 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.
This is the first day of the rest of our lives and I would like to start us off with this tidbit of biblical wisdom. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT), 16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. I firmly believe, any kindness and respect you or I withhold from another may just cost us the greatest friend we could ever have. Elections are temporal, eternity is forever! Think about that for a while before you get into your next debate.
My prayer for us; Ephesians 1:17-23 (ESV), 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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