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Mind, Body, and Spirit: Being Transformed

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God's Grace
God’s Grace.

Several months ago as I was searching the scriptures on what it meant to “be transformed and renewed” in God’s Spirit, I re-read Romans 12:2 which refers to our being a “living sacrifice” in which we live our lives as “sacrifices to God.” When we do this, we are no longer masters of our bodies and minds, but God is. In other words, it is God who is in control of our lives.

Let us take a look at some of the scriptures that guide us in living our lives every day with our mind, body, and spirit.

MIND (NIV):

Romans 12:2: “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.”

Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

Ephesians 4:22-24: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

BODY (NIV):

I Corinthians 6:19-20: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

Romans 12:1: “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.”

I Corinthians 12:27: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

SPIRIT (NIV):

Ephesians 3:16: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Galatians 5:25: “Since we live by the Spirit (fruit of the Spirit), let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Living our lives with our mind, body, and Spirit is an act of worship. If we try to grow and change spiritually without the Holy Spirit, we are actually conforming to the pattern of the world. We are told to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds–change our way of thinking”–and we can do this by our actions (in our everyday lives). We please God when our minds are renewed.

It is the same with our body and Spirit. We have put off “our old self” to serve God in all areas of our lives. By being transformed, the scriptures tell us that “we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

This is an act of faith as we believe that God will show us his good and perfect will as we continue to conform to His directions in our mind, body, and Spirit.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever your have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (NIV)

Be transformed–be renewed–be diligent–be kind and loving–be filled with the Holy Spirit. In doing so God’s hands, His words, and His grace will live in and through you. This gives us the power to “be transformed” and live for Him every day. My prayer is that my grandchildren will learn to do this throughout their lives as well.

Remember, “mistakes are made; promises are broken; but God’s love and forgiveness are sure.” (Anonymous)

Blessings,

Yvonne

The Power of Words

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The tongue is smart yet powerful!
“The tongue is the only tool that gets sharper with use.” –Washington Irving

Every day words that are spoken (and unspoken) make an indescribable impact on our lives. Scriptures teach us that our “tongues” can be used for good or for evil. They can convey words of hope, encouragement, and support or words of destruction towards one another.

I am reminded of the words that Jesus taught us and spoke regarding healing the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3); setting the captive free (Luke 4:18-19); making the lame to walk again (Mathew 11:5-6); and causing the blind to see (Luke 18:40-42). He spoke of healing those who were less fortunate, forgiving one another, and loving your neighbor as yourself. As our example for Christian living, He used kind, gentle words with all of the people whom He met.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (NIV)

The Book of Proverbs is called the Book of Wisdom because it describes how we are to live our lives but also how we are to conduct ourselves in every situation. It gives us instructions on fearing and trusting the Lord, and we are to seek his wisdom in decisions we make every day.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 says that “there is a time to be silent and a time to speak.” When I was growing up in a dysfunctional family, there were many times when my tongue got the best of me, especially if I was accused of doing something that I know I did not do. There were a lot of dynamics going on in a household with 12 brothers and sisters and sometimes unkind words were spoken to one another. It wasn’t until I became a Christian and began reading the Word of God that I finally realized that what I said could either hurt someone’s feelings or I could try to be an encourager. It wasn’t easy (and I certainly was not perfect), but the Lord really helped me “hold my tongue” in a number of situations that arose within my family.

Proverbs 15:1 tells us that “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” We have it within ourselves to rely upon the Holy Spirit to become wise in the use of words. There were many times my family noticed a change in my attitude towards them, especially my alcoholic father. Little did I know that my actions toward him would actually convict a “once born again Christian” who later gave his life back to God. One by one, my brothers and sisters gave their lives to God as well. I tried to be a “light in the darkness” because I definitely felt God was using my relationship with Him to help my family turn to Him.

You never know what a day will bring–the moments we have with one another that will not come again. James 3:5-6 talks about “taming the tongue”–“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (NIV)

Scriptures that give us guidelines on the importance of using gentle words are from Proverbs. Verse 15:4 says, “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit”; Verse 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”; Verse 18:4 says, “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook”; and Verse 18:20 says, “From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled, with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.” (NIV)

In conclusion, I want to end this post with Matthew 12:34-37: “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (NIV)

May the Lord bless and keep you in His loving care.

Blessings,

Yvonne

Defined by God’s Design

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When God changes our lives, we yield completely to His calling in our lives.

Last summer I began reading a book entitled, “Defined” by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough, which was about living a life of purpose/meaning, value, and love and being who God created you to be and that “what God thinks of you and can do through you is much more incredible than you think.”

Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” God was talking to Jeremiah who prophesied in the kingdom of Judah as Jerusalem is being destroyed and God’s people are being carried away into Babylon because of their sin. It is a time of judgment and of suffering for all the people and for Jeremiah personally. But Jeremiah also cites God’s promise of restoration. Sin has its consequences but also that through Jesus, our mediator, God’s last word is about forgiveness and eternal life. (NIV)

How many of us have quoted Jeremiah 1:5 during times of indecision, changes going on in our lives, and whenever we have sinned against God? But God knew us before we were born and set us apart and appointed us to be a light in this darkened world. Each of us were created in His image to live a meaningful life, but we need to discover who we were created to be.

Before a construction worker begins a job, he has to make sure he has the right tools in order to get the job done right. After looking at his blueprints, he then begins to tear down an old building or whatever his task may be before he creates something new.

This past week, our home has been undergoing some demolition in two bathrooms. There has been a lot of tearing out of the old vanities, light fixtures, a tub, and old tiles that were cracked in order to create better bathroom spaces. The process of the renovations is supposed to take two weeks, but somehow after the project began the general contractor discovered some issues that needed to be taken care of first before he could resume his original plan. Programs on HGTV showcase these types of projects.

God has a plan for us as well but oftentimes we deviate from what God created us to be by straying off the path to “do our own thing” until we realize something is not quite right and God has to steer us back onto the right path again.

As Christians we need to have the right mind-set and believe that “with God all things are possible” and that He knew us before we did. He already has a plan laid out for each and every one of us to follow. We just need to continue to seek Him for His direction. Life happens and things happen along the way, but we need to continue to keep our eyes on Him.

We are therefore not defined by what others think of us but we are “defined by God’s great design” for us so that we can live a life full of purpose/meaning, value, and love. May you continue to seek His will and follow His calling for your life–not the life someone else says you are to have. He is our potter and we are the clay to be molded in His image.

Blessings,

Yvonne

Sharing-Caring-Praying

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Pray without ceasing.

Beginning in December, 2019, I began a prayer journal (Sharing-Caring-Praying) for the sole purpose of recording prayer requests that came across my FB news feed as well as those that I received from our church’s prayer vine. Often, these requests came from people that I only knew through a special painting group or DYI group that I joined on FB, other than our church requests.

While keeping this prayer journal, I was able to continue to pray for those who had suffered the loss of a loved one and/or for those needing comfort and strength for other needs beyond their control. I recorded daily or weekly updates as they came across my news feed.

This past year I have learned a lot about prayer–what it personally means to me and how it has strengthened my faith in the One to whom hears all of our needs and meets them on a daily basis–and I will endeavor to share some of these “prayerful things” that I found in God’s Word.

What is prayer and what can it do for each of us? Do we only pray when we have a need and our world has been shaken from a devastating loss? Or are we commanded to “pray without ceasing” in all things?

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In other words, we are to let our requests be known to God by “prayer and petition”–telling God what our request(s) are and thanking Him for answering no matter what that answer might be.

Someone once said that “When life is rough, PRAY; when life is great, PRAY!” In the good and the bad times, God is the same; He never changes; He never fails to hear us.

A. W. Tozer said that “the hard work of prayer is getting yourself in a state of mind in which you prefer the will of God over your own.” I think all of us can identify with this statement. All of us want our “own will” over what God wants for us. He is the potter and we are the clay to be molded after His will for our lives.

So then what is prayer and what can it do for us? Let’s take a look at some of the things that prayer can do for all of us. Prayer can:

  • CHANGE People: II Corinthians 6: 17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We become a new creation in Christ. Our lives are changed and we are made into the image of God.
  • GUIDES People: Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” God knows the path that we need to take to accomplish His will in our lives and He will direct us in the way that we should go.
  • DELIVERS People: Psalm 34:17: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” God hears, delivers, and is with us in all of our circumstances throughout our lives.
  • HEALS People: James 5:14-15: “Is any one of you sick? He should call for the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” We need to claim our healing and believe that He has touched us and made us whole.
  • COMFORTS People: Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” God will comfort us and give us rest when needed.
  • STRENGTHENS People: I Timothy 1:12: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” When we do the Lord’s work, he strengthens us to do His will.
  • PROTECTS People: Psalm 5:11: “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” God continually protects us as we take refuge in Him.
  • INCREASES FAITH in People: Hebrews 11:1-2: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” The Word of God is filled with those individuals who were found faithful, even when their circumstances looked dire. By following God’s calling and commands, their faith in God led them through the wilderness and many circumstances placed in their paths. They followed the will of God over their own.

There are more ways in which God can change our lives through prayer, but I also want to say that during the past four weeks as I have battled with tendonitis and less use of my left arm and hand, I have called out to God numerous times to “heal” me. His response was to “continue to believe that He touched me.” If we pray and ask God for anything, we need to believe in our hearts and minds that He has answered and continue to trust in what that answer will be. This can be hard to do sometimes but it should not allow our faith to waiver in the God who loves us and continues to change us, guide us, deliver us, heal us, comfort us, strengthen us, protect us, and increase our faith in Him every day.

W. Clement Stone said that “prayer is man’s greatest power.” We need to continue to pray without ceasing–when life is rough and when life is great.

“Sometimes all it takes is just one prayer to change everything.” (Anonymous)

Blessings,

Yvonne

A Letter to God

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The Spirit of the Lord

A few years ago my husband was a part time pastor in PA and had decided to extend a spiritual learning challenge to members of our congregation. He handed each person an envelope. There were two things inside: a letter from God and $10. They were instructed to find someone that week who they thought needed their help in some way by using the money that they were given and to report their results back to the congregation the following Sunday.

Many used the money to purchase items such as groceries, hats/gloves, a meal for a homeless person, or gave a donation to a worthy charitable cause. Many were touched by their generosity and blessed by their outpouring of love. They had made a difference in someone’s life that week.

The letter inside the envelope began with “My Child,” and contained many scripture verses taken from the promises of God in His Word. It was signed “Love, Your Dad–Almighty God.” This reminder of God’s love blessed not only me, but members of the congregation as well who read it and claimed God’s promises.

It was because of this letter that I wanted to write a letter back to God to thank Him for His promises. My letter is as follows:

“Dear Father God,

Before the world began, you knew me. You created the world one day at a time and then you formed me in my mother’s womb at just the right moment so that I could become your child.

You gave me a purpose and a direction to follow, as well as strength to go through any unwanted circumstances that came my way. I was not alone. You walked by my side and continue to walk with me every day. My life has been changed because you love me unconditionally.

Your love reaches higher than I could ever imagine and your Spirit lives within me to continually guide me in the knowledge and wisdom from above. Romans 8:16-17 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ….”

Thank you for saving me, and allowing your Son to die for me, so that one day I will be able to meet you face to face and spend eternity with you.

Your Grateful…Thankful…and Blessed Child”

What a wonderful privilege we have as Christians to serve a mighty God who tells us throughout His Word that He does care about us more than we could possibly imagine, and that it is important that we share that love with others and “make a difference in Jesus Name to all those who are hurting and who are unaware that they matter to God”. Let us make a difference in someone’s life today.

May the Lord bless you, keep you, and make His face to shine upon you forevermore.

Blessings,

Yvonne