Schuyler County Fair Visitors!

Greetings, I am thankful that you took time to visit our website and this blog.  I imagine many of you in the next few days are here because of meeting one of us at the Schuyler County Fair (IL) or in the least finding more comfort from using one of our fans.

I want to encourage you to take your time as you visit our website to try and get to know more of who we are and more importantly who God is and how He through Jesus Christ has provided a way for you to have a relationship with Him.

Let me also encourage you to visit our Youtube page:  www.youtube.com/churchoflittleton on this page we have produced roughly 150 devotionals, some teaching the meaning of scripture and applying to our life and some answering questions using the Bible to show God’s answer to individual needs and questions.  We have taken a break this summer, but there are many lessons here from which to learn.

I also want to let you know that you and your family are not only welcome, but are encouraged to gather with this local body of Christ as we worship together on Sunday Morning at 9:30  (ss) and 10:30 as well as our family hour at 6 PM.

We look forward to the chance to get to know some of you more in the coming weeks and months as we learn to serve God together for His glory!

The Process of Spiritual Transformation (part 2)

Last time together we began looking at the process of Spiritual transformation.  We are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we no longer think like the gentiles.

Our thinking is to be changed as we submit to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Today I want to go to Ephesians 4 and look at some very practical principles to illustrate how this change needs to take place as we renew our mind.

Ephesians 4:25 (ESV) ²⁵Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

We must “put-off” lying.  As we renew our mind, lying should have no part in the Christian life and within the body of Christ.  In the place of lying we “put-on” speaking the truth” or truth telling.  One person asked the question,  “When is a liar no longer a liar?”   It is not when they stop talking.  A liar is no longer a liar when the speak the truth.   The cognitive change or the transformation of the mind that must take place in this passage is that we must realize that we are “members one of another”.   To lie to a brother or sister in Christ is to attack the body of Christ of which I am a part.  That has the same common sense of my right hand taking a hammer and attacking another part of my body.  It will affect the body as a whole.  Therefore, as members of one another, we don’t want to lie to ourselves.

Ephesians 4:26–27 (ESV) ²⁶Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and give no opportunity to the devil.

Rather than living a life in continued anger we must have settled relationships.  If I go to bed angry, I wake up angry.  In waking up angry I give the devil opportunity as I start my new day.  I Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be diligent for your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.”   When we go to bed angry it is as if we are telling a lion who is ready to pounce,  “Wait right here, I will be by in a little and you are welcome to get me.”  Maybe this is a little simplified, but I hope you get the picture.  We must deal with our anger as soon as possible.  In Matt. 5:24 Christ when challenging us not to worry about tomorrow told us “sufficient for the day is its own troubles.”    If tomorrows troubles will be enough for one day then I surely don’t want to save over today’s troubles for tomorrow.

I hope that you will begin to renew your mind and allow your thinking and your life to be transformed so that you can lead a Christ honoring life.

The Process of Spiritual Transformation Part 1

We have been studying justification, the fact that we are declared righteous by God by faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.  But upon our salvation what is God’s goal for us?  According to Romans 8:29 God’s goal for us is “to be conformed to the image of his Son.”  Ephesians 5 puts it this way, “that He might sanctify and cleanse her (his church) with the washing of the water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (vs. 25-27)

I remember Tony Evans saying, “spiritual growth is guaranteed, but it is not automatic.”   God’s desire is indeed that we would be transformed spiritually in fact he commands it in Ephesians 4:17 we are told to “no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk in the futility of their mind.”  Romans 12:2 challenges us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  This word transformation has the same root word as our word “metamorphosis”. 

We should understand that the term heart and mind are often used interchangeably in Scripture.  In this transformation our mind, our heart, and our knowledge is changed.  Paul challenged the Ephesians in 4:23 to be “renewed in the spirit of their mind.”  The Colossians he told to be “renewed in the knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” (Col. 3:10)

This change is not just us.  This change takes place through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.   II Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be complete, equipped for every good work.   As we submit to the teaching of the word of God we learn what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right.  We then with the help of the Holy Spirit can live in obedience to God’s Word as we apply his principles in our life through our renewed mind.

Ephesians illustrates it with a “put-off  and put-on” principle.  These actions though are affected by our renewed mind, a change in our thinking.  It is a cognitive response.  As we begin to think according to Biblical principles we will put off ungodly actions and begin to replace them with godly actions.  We will be better representing the image of God in which we were created.

In the next edition of “First Word” we will take a look at some of these principles in the book of Ephesians.  We will see then how we must be specific in our life as we deal with sin and we will have to make a choice of who we are going to serve in our life.

“Process of Spiritual Transformation”

Goal:  “To be conformed to the image of His Son” (cf. Rom. 8:29; Eph. 5:25-27)

	Change takes place through the Holy Spirit Word of God II Timothy 3:16,17 (Teaching, conviction, correction, and training)

 

Change is commanded (“transformed” – metamorphasis) Eph. 4:17; Rom. 12:2

Mind (heart, knowledge is changed) Romans 12:2; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10

Put Off	Change thinking (cognitive)	Put On
Lying  (Eph. 4:25)	“members one of another” – your neighbor is part of yourself – don’t lie to yourself	Truth Telling
Anger (Eph. 4:26)	When I wake up angry I set myself up to give the devil the opportunity the next day.	Settled relationship
Stealing (Eph. 4:28)	How can I minister to another in need?	Working and giving
Improper speech (Eph. 4:29, 31)	What edifies the other person?	Sharing and caring

Be specific

Choose  (Who will you serve?) Joshua 24:14; Hebrews 11:24-26

God's Response to Abraham

In our previous edition we were taking a quick survey of Abram’s faith in Genesis.  Abram had saved Lot and the other inhabitants from a cruel Suzerain, and they had responded by asking Abram to be their new suzerain.  Abram refused realizing that God is the one who is to be the true suzerain of man.

In Genesis 15 we see God come to Abram again.

Genesis 15:1–6 (NKJV)  ¹After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” ²But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliazer of Damascus?”  ³Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” ⁴And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”  ⁵Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

⁶And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

God indeed let’s Abram know that he will be his protection and his reward.  Abram does not understand how and why his only heir seems to be his servant.  Then God reiterates his promise to make his offspring like the stars of heaven without number.  What is noteworthy here is that Abram believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.  Because of Abram’s faith he was declared righteous.  What is interesting is that the term believed is past tense.  He didn’t just believe now, but had believed before, 15 years had passed since Abram’s first call from Ur. 

This declaration of Abram’s righteousness, 14 years before his circumcision, was a problem for the traditional Jews who thought that keeping the law and being circumcised was all that was necessary for righteousness.  It is this false teaching that Paul was addressing in Romans 4.  The Romans, just as Abram, would not be justified by keeping the law, which is an impossibility, but rather by putting their faith in God.

Paul also explains that he would be a “father of many nations,” not through blood, but through saving faith.

We must ask the question today, are you a descendant of Abram having put your faith in Jesus Christ for Salvation?

Abraham's Faith Explained

In Romans 4 we learned that “Abraham was justified by faith!”  It was not circumcision that provided Christ’s Righteousness for him, but rather his faith.  Today we are going to look back to Genesis to learn a little more of Abraham’s faith.

We first must understand the background of Abraham.   Genesis 11 deals with the disobedience of mankind and their building the tower of Babel rather than spreading and filling the earth.  God judged man and gave them different languages that they might spread out.   We find Abraham living in Ur with his idolatrous family.  But God in His grace and mercy called Abram.

In Genesis 12 we see the call.  Genesis 12:1–3 (NKJV) ^1”Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. ²I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. ³I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Then in verse four we see Abram’s response. Genesis 12:4 (NKJV)

^“4So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

Abraham was obedient!  He went as God had commanded.

In Chapter 14 we see Chedorlaomer as a Suzerain that has control over many of the surrounding kings and they are paying him tribute.  They finally rebel and he attacks taking Sodom and Gomorrah captive along with Lot and his family.  Abram grabs a couple of buddies and they go and they defeat the king and take back all of the people and goods.  In Genesis 14:19-20, Abram stops and gives tithes and worships through Melchizedek high priest of Salem.  

The king of Sodom asks for just the people and tells Abram to keep the goods.  Abram in their culture was being asked to become the new Suzerain.  The wanted him to protect them and they would pay tribute.  Abram refuses, he realizes that God almighty is to be the true Suzerain.  It is in this God that Abram trusts and will continue to trust and it is this God who he wants to receive the credit.  Genesis 14:22–23 (NKJV)  ²²But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—

Abram had already put his faith in God and was living to serve Him. In the next edition we will learn more of God’s response to Abram.