Renewed

Transformed~

Jesus promises to transform us into His likeness. I just got back from a retreat in Stone Mountain Calvary Chapel with a bunch of other on fire teens for Christ;) the theme was "living a life of worship." Worship is SO  stereotyped these days. The thirty minute thing before the teaching, the nice music, "worship time"...the list goes on. If you go to church, and all you get from it is the worship, its great that you enjoyed your time, but something is wrong. Worship COMES, is DERIVED from our response to GOD'S WORD. It is our way of saying thank you, giving something back to Jesus for what He has done to us. Living a life of worship is more than just singing songs. It is living a life holy and fully consecrated to Christ. TRANSFORMED.

 Romans 12:1-2 says: "I beseech you therefore bretheren, 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 the likeness of 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."
 Being transformed is  a LIFE LONG  process. So is being conformed. Which are we doing? Are we constantly being "conformed" into the things of this world, or "transformed" into the things of Christ?
          Living a life of worship means taking captive everythought unot Jesus Christ. He wants ALL of us. OUr lives, thoughts, actions, words, to be fully transformed into His likeness. this is our REASONABLE service, because He died to make us His own. He wants our minds and lives so we can prove His perfect will--to pour out His immense, abundant blessings into our lives. I had a major break-through this weekend. I got it. I got it. I got that to be fully His, I had to be fully consecrated. There is an intamacy that only comes when we fully surrender. What is the hardest, most important thing we must surrender? OUR MIND. Satan wants that SO badly. Because once he has that, he can control everything. And giving him just a little space is opening your door to a devil who wont stop until he has complete control. For "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly." John 10:10  If you have fallen into Satan's evil trap, Jesus promises in 1 John 1:9 that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

These truths are so  important, often drowned out. Letting our thoughts run wild may feel good, but we are really letting Satan dictate our lives and become slaves to him. When we no longer let Jesus rule in our minds, we are fighting a battle we cannot win. Yet Jesus promises to always forgive. If only we ask. Then we must turn and cut off our sin. LEAVE IT. WALK AWAY.  Satan WANTS our minds. To destroy us.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. " I wasn't doing that. Then I chose to surrender my thoughts to Christ. No more me, no more flesh, just Jesus. Totally surrendered. Totally transformed. And though it was hard,

 it was totally  worth it. It IS  worth it. And this is why we do it:  "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed [us] into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, [fn] the forgiveness of sinsAnd you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled . in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which [fn] is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this [end] I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

Colossians 1:10-29

 For "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of a man what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9. And Jesus's will is that ALL  come to Him and are saved, Because nothing can snatch us from His hand;)"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of My Father's hand." John 10 :29~

"The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

 It is still a battle. It ALWAYS will be. Until we get to heaven. But lets allow our lives to be a beautiful melody unto Him.

Psalm 63:3-8

"Because thy lovingkindness [is] better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy nameMy soul shall be satisfied as [with] marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise [thee] with joyful lips:Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.  My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. "