CONFORMED/TRANSFORMED

Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transfored by the renewing of your mind."

Like our friend here, do you sometimes stand out in the crowd? That's not always a bad thing. Unfortunately, too many times though we desire to give in to our "earthly desires: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, NIV).. Paul goes on to tell us we must rid ourselves "of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other..." (Colossians 3:8,9). Now its probably fairly safe to say if the first group doesn't apply, there is something in the second group that fits.  Unfortunately, I didn't even make it through the first group of no-no's. You see, there is a certain coffeemaker I have been eyeing for some time. Recently, I have been spending an inordinate amount of time checking online comparing prices and availability at different stores. I don't mean just once or twice. I mean everytime I turned on my Ipad I would look. After all, the prices could have changed overnight. I was even going to stores to check (well, the prices could have been wrong on the internet). It became an idol that stood between me and God. I believe that is called idolatry.  Yes, that is standing out in the crowd for all the wrong reasons. Hey, just a minuate you say. If no one knew than how can you be standing out in the crowd. Ah, from God's perspective, I stood out in the crowd for all the wrong reasons. I was allowing the ways of this world to conform me.

The good news is the minute we become/became Christ-followers we were given the Holy Spirit. Priscilla Shirer describes the Holy Spirit as "God's control tower". He sees the end from the beginning and seeks to guide us through this life." When I allow God's messages to get through the "control tower" I am able to be "transformed by the renewing of your (my) mind".Then when I stand out in the crowd, it is as a "light" bringing praise to my Father in heaven. 

PEACE

John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you. Don't let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." NIV Bible

Peace is defined as freedom from disturbace, quiet, tranquility, calm, restfulness. Several years ago, I was on a bus tour of Switzerland and met a thirteen year old young lady and her father from Israel. We were enjoying the morning on the top-deck of a touring boat on Lake Lucerne. While her father was in discussion with others on the tour, I happened to mention to this young lady how beautiful and peaceful it was this morning. It was a beautiful crisp, Fall day with a gorgeous blue sky overhead filled with fluffy white clouds; much like in the above picture except the mountains of the Alps were surrounding us. When I mentioned the word "peaceful" she looked at me very puzzled and asked innocently but very seriously, "What's peace?" In her young life she had never experienced peace. She lived with wars, bombings,  and snipers all her life. She didn't know when her father left in the morning if she would see him that night. She didn't know if when left for school if she would come home that night to her mother and brother in a their house.
Is your life filled with unrest, turmoil, or anxiety. Whether we are Christ-followers or not we can have times when we are filled with one or all of these emotions. Last Sunday, the husband of a very dear friend experienced extreme weakness to the point, a neighbor had to assist him into the house and into bed. He has lymphnomic cancer on top of having Alzeheimers. She called to ask for prayer. Her husband was hospitalized later that night. During the next two days he received a blood transfusion and had tests to determine the cause of the bleeding. During this time she could have been filled with complete unrest, extreme turmoil, and experienced extreme anxiety but none of this occurred. Why? Because she knew God was in control. Her Savior had told her "Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you. Don't let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." She believed Him. Last night, she brought her husband home from the hospital with no new complications.
Beth Moore in her study "Believing God" tells us "God is who He says He is and God can do what He says He can do?" This Peace, God's Peace, is available to everyone 24/7. All you have to do is believe God is who He says He is and believe God can do what He says He can do. It truly is as easy as that.

MISCONCEPTIONS VS. TRUTH

Misconception is defined as a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty
thinking or understanding. The Enemy has sold the world  one misconception after another and the people of the world has believed him.. As an old saying goes, we’ve been sold a “bill of goods”. The Enemy has told us  we will go to heaven when we die if we lead a good life, if we help others, even if we attend church every Sunday. He’s even  told us nothing really happens to us when we die; its just a bunch of nothingness. Our bones will turn to ashes and then that too will blow away. Moreover,  he’s told us hell is really a big party that will last forever; there’s no such place as hell. In those times when you have been at your lowest point and you feel God is distant and not answering your prayer; Satan tells you, God is too busy for you, He doesn’t love you; if there was a God He would care. Another lie Satan propagates God and Jesus is a fable to keep the masses under control.  He’s told us hell is right here on earth so there can’t be a hell after we die. What’s really unfortunate? People have believed the lies, the misconceptions, the deceit. Why? Because Satan has convinced people there is no hell. There is no place where there is gnashing of teeth, where there is screaming so horrifying the scariest horror movie cannot duplicate it, where there is darkness so dark it cannot even be described, it can only be felt. People, I’m here to tell you there is a place called hell; there is a place where every single one of these things occur.  I’ve seen the darkness, I’ve heard the screams. I’ve heard the gnashing of teeth.
I’ve also seen the “Light of the world” that brings a peace unlike anything one can find in this life. I’ve been to where there is no night, where no lamp is needed to see, where there is no need for the sun, for the Lord God gave the light. I’ve seen  “a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was a tree of life…There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.,,,” (Revelation 22: 1-2 Amplified Bible). Years later I read these words and understood for the first time what I saw. What I experienced was not a dream, was not a hallucination. It was real, as real as you are this very minute.
If you are in a dark place, feeling alone, believing the lies of this world, the lies of Satan HEAR ME when I tell you: “There is someone who can bring you peace, who is the Author of eternal life, who can give you strength to face this day.” His name is Jesus Christ, “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”(Revelation 22:13, New International Version Bible). He is the Bridge from this horrible darkness to the Light of eternal Peace. Believe Jesus when He says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”. (John 8:12, NIV). Jesus tells you, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6-7, NIV). The most powerful, the greatest action of my life has been believing those words and acting upon them.

PATHS OF LIFE, CHOICES

There’s a commercial on Pandora with 2 men talking. They want to schedule a time for playing golf the following week but their calendars are so full they need to postpone a bad cut on a hand, a sprained foot is scheduled for Tuesday, the hand is going to be re-scheduled to Wed. It’s a commercial for The Villages Hospital Urgent Care; however, it’s a very true reflection on how our lives are. Whether we follow You Jesus or not we pack our days, our weeks so full; we leave You out of it. Yet, if we are as faithful to keep our time with you as we are a golf date, a lunch date, a shopping date, a doctor’s appointment, etc; we would have more Peace, more Joy, more contentment, more happy marriages, happier children in this world. You have told us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Do you need some "rest for your soul"? Many times my day becomes so busy, my heart becomes heavy, my soul becomes weary. It is at these times, I stop. I seek Jesus out. I ask Him to "give me rest". It is then, I feel the gentleness of my Savior.
I need to return to the basics  1) Spending good, solid time with Jesus every day; 2) Praying—sharing my innermost thoughts, fears, joys, etc.; 3) Listening—shut up so I can hear You; 4) Study the Word of God or about the Word of God. This is how I seek Jesus out. This is how He "gives me rest". This is how I discover how gentle, how loving, how personal, how real Jesus is to me. How do you discover these things about Jesus? How do you find your "rest"?

SEWING LESSONS

A few years ago, I made a coverlet to use in the summertime on my bed.  It really has become more a  decoration than anything else. When I was making it, I constructed it as a quilt. However, I was afraid to use the decorative stitches on my new sewing machine, so it wasn't until two years ago I decided to quilt it using one of the decorative stitches. Suddenly, there before me was an illustration of our walk with God. When the machine and I worked together in perfect sync with one another the stitches made a perfect design. However, when I attempted to move the fabric at my pace, the design was all askew. When we work in sync with God as He guides us through the hardships, through the challenges, through the illnesses, through the stresses of everyday life, our  life is a reflection of Christ.
There is a story about an individual and many other souls as they faced their Maker at the last judgment. Before each of them laid their lives stacked as squares of a quilt in many piles and behind the piles was an angel sewing the quilt squares together which became a tapestry of each soul's life. As his angel took each piece of cloth each square was very  ragged and empty. They were filled with giant holes. Each square represented a part of his life that had been difficult, or challenges he had faced in everyday life. The hardships he endured comprised the largest holes of all. Looking around he noticed everyone else's squares were rich with color and only little holes here and there. Once again, he looked at the squares of his life and became disheartened. However, his angel continued to sew his ragged pieces of cloth together even though they were so threadbare it was like binding air. Finally the time came for each of them to display their quilt, to be held up to the light and the scrutiny of truth would be revealed. As each one held up their quilt, he could see the rich lives they had lived. Then the time came when the angel nodded for him to hold up his quilt. His gaze dropped to the ground in shame. He hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. He had love and laughter and there had been trials of illness and wealth, and false accusations. He had to start over many times and often struggled with the temptation to quit. However, somehow he always mustered the strength to pick himself up and begin again. He spent many nights praying, offering the difficulty, trial, illness to the Father asking for guidance. Now, the time had come and he had to face the truth: his life was what it was and he had to accept it for what it was. Slowly, he rose and held up his quilt and when he did one large awe-filled gasp filled the air. Confused, he gazed upon his quilt and much to his surprise, all the light flooding through the many holes created the image of the face of Christ. Then The Lord stood before him and with warmth and love in His eyes He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, till there was more of Me than there was of you.
In the same way I had a picture in my head of what the quilt would look like when it was completed, God has a picture in His head of what we will look like when we are completed. For that picture to happen each one of us has turned or must turn to the Master Potter, and as the song says you must ask the Potter to "Have Thine own way, Lord! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will... Fill with Thy Spirit 'till all shall see Christ only, always living in me!"